


A Light in the Darkness

by Miss Ebil (MissEbil)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blackouts, Blind!Ignis, Blindness, Canon-Typical Violence, Cooking, Daemons, Demons, Driving, Erotica, Especially Ignis, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Game Spoilers, Gen, Injury Recovery, M/M, Mild Gore, Multi, Nightmares, Romance, Seriously I am far too obsessed with this game, Slow Burn, Smut, Speculation, Travel, Video & Computer Games, Will evolve into Explicit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:37:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 27,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9189962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissEbil/pseuds/Miss%20Ebil
Summary: Eternal apologies for my slow updates, more is on the way as fast as I can.What might have happened during the 10 years that were skipped towards the end of FFXV.SPOILER WARNING: Main plotline spoilers and possible side plot spoilers too.Ignis learns a lot about himself and his feelings while teaching a new-found companion, as well as how to cope with his injuries.





	1. A Brother Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> This is a slow burn romance behind some action, it will contain erotica eventually but I am aiming for juicy plot as well as smut.
> 
> I'm have just finished updating the formatting on all the chapters to make them easier to read online, please bare with me as I'm new to AO3 and only just getting used to the limited HTML, but I hope it's a lot easier to read now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis, Prompto and Gladio return from Zegnautus, having left one of their brotherhood behind.

 

Had it been days or weeks since they left Gralea? Ignis was perturbed to realise that he had no idea. Prompto had informed him that the days had become so short that it was barely twilight before all of Eos was plunged back into darkness. His normally talkative companion had been silent for most of their journey, as had Gladiolus, but that was to be expected after what had come to pass. Leaving Noctis to find the crystal on his own had pained them all, yet without them staying behind to keep his way clear, Noct would have had no hope of reaching it. Ignis’ companions had told him that by the time they had reached the crystal room, Noct was nowhere to be seen and he had heard the sinister voice that let him know Ardyn was still very much alive. It was useless to try and fight him, though Gladio and Prompto had tried.

Ardyn had let them leave the Empire’s capital with surprising and certainly suspicious ease. Despite all his years of tactical and political training, Ignis could not decipher what this Chancellor's long-term plan was. And he must have a plan for all of this. One did not go against an empire that was supporting you on a whim. There had to be a reason, something that he was not telling them. Ignis held on tightly to the hope that at least Noct knew and in knowing, had a way to stop the darkness. Hope was a strong force, yet he couldn’t help but feel cold at the thought that hope was all they had.

A sharp pain lanced through his left eye as the antiquated van they were travelling in went over a larger bump in the road. Smaller cracks in the tarmac sent aftershocks through his damaged nerves. Resisting the urge to take off his tinted glasses and rub the wound, he instead gripped his cane and his teeth harder. This was certainly no match for the Regalia.


	2. Hold On To Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group, now a trio, arrive in Hammerhead with mixed emotions. Did they do the right thing in leaving their Prince behind?

 

When they arrived in Hammerhead, Ignis could not have said if it had taken them hours or weeks to travel back. Time seemed to move both slower and faster than it should, as it is wont to do on long journeys that have no happy ending. Feeling numb, he tried to remember the first time he had set foot in the little outpost. The warm sun beating down on the desert that he’d only ever seen in photographs before. The warmer smiles of Cindy and Takka, even Cid had let his wizened face crack a smile every once in a blue moon. Ignis shuddered. It was cold now, probably well into the unnaturally long night.

A short distance away he could hear the faint murmur of voices and the odd note of music on the wind.

“C’mon,” Prompto said, taking the blind man’s arm “We’ve been travelling a while. We should get something to eat.” His tone was lacking it’s usual joy.

“Indeed. No sense letting our health fade.” Ignis nodded, “We have to be ready for Noct’s return at any time.”

Gladio merely grunted his agreement and started towards the diner.

Making their way inside, the trio took the booth seat in the furthest corner, none of them wishing to deal with the thousand and one questions that hid behind the other patrons’ glances. It was obvious by their number and gait that all had not gone well in Gralea.

Takka shuffled over to their table, his calloused hands wringing his apron in a clear sign of discomfort.

“Y’all boys must be hungry. Let me fix ya somethin’ to eat, on the house o’course.”

Prompto forced a silent smile.

“And y’all are welcome to stay in the caravan as long as you need.” the chef added.

“Thank you, Takka. That is most gracious of you.” Ignis nodded.

“Ain’t no trouble.” Takka muttered, shuffling away and back to his cooking.

Gladio stared resolutely out into the darkness.

The hiss and crackle of frying food mixed with the soft music and the conversations, paused as they had entered, began anew. The familiar sounds and smells eased Ignis’ mood a little and all three were content to sit in silence, contemplating what had befallen them in recent days.

Prompto was the first to speak a few minutes later, his hands nervously folding an old flyer on the table.

“So,” his quiet voice shaking slightly, “What do we do now? ‘Til Noct returns, that is. ‘Cos he’s coming back, right?”

“Damn straight he’d better come back.” growled Gladio. “No way he quit now and left the work to us.”

“Gladio,” Ignis said soothingly, “Of course he will return. We have to assume that he is getting help from the Crystal and presumably that takes time.”

“So there is hope?” Prompto’s tone lifted, his eyes wide.

“There is more than just hope. There is faith.” Ignis replied stoically, “After leaving the city, I’ve seen Noct grow so much. I have every faith he will come back. He will banish the curse and the daemons with it.”

“Alright! If you believe it, so do I!” Prompto enthusiastically clapped Ignis on the shoulder. “If anyone can do this, it’s Noct.”

Gladio humphed, “There’s still the question of what we do in the meantime.”

“I suggest we put ourselves to good use. Continue helping out the people in these parts. They don’t have much experience of this. We do.” Pointing at his comrade across the table, Ignis continued, “Gladio, you should get word to the Hunters, they’ll likely be the best form of defence we have at first. Go to the Outpost North of here at first light. You won’t have as much time to get there and back again before it’s dark, but they have radios to most of their units.”

“Right,” Gladio sat up, “I’ll get them to recall all their units out of the field, protect the settlements.”

“Yes, we know this is only going to get exponentially worse before it gets better. We need to build some sort of defence while we have the daylight to work in. Prompto, you can liaise with Cid and Cindy here, see what sort of defenses you can pull together from what’s lying around.”

“Roger that, Iggy.” Prompto nodded, “I’m sure between us we can whip up something good.”

“I will remain here for now to develop a plan, but I must get to Lestallum to warn the people there. Gladio, can you ask the Hunters if they can spare anybody to escort me there?” Ignis’ frustration slipped through his normally calm demeanor. Losing his sight was not going to stop him from helping out, but the freedom of being able to drive was one of the simple pleasures in life that he sorely missed.

“Sure thing.”

“Here’s Takka with our food,” Prompto seemed to have regained more of his token enthusiasm, “Oh man, I just realised I’m so hungry I could eat something I cooked!”

“Here ya are, boys. Enjoy.” the chef said as he put plates in front of the three young men. He left quickly with a forced smile and a nod, clearly still anxious about the conspicuous absence of Noctis.

“Smells so good!” Prompto was already digging in and paused with a mouth full when he heard a sigh from across the table. Gladio was frowning at him. Gladio jerked his chin slightly to Ignis, who seemed to be having some trouble with his food.

Prompto forcefully swallowed his mouthful of food and asked gingerly, “You, uh, need some help there, Specs?”

“No, thank you.” he replied, putting his fork down and rubbing his brow frustratedly. “If I don’t learn how to do things for myself again, I’ll just become a burden. I cannot have that.”

“Okay,” Prompto awkwardly went back to eating, keeping one eye on Ignis’ struggle as he did.

It took a couple of minutes and several attempts, but Ignis finally managed to cut a piece of his fish and get it into his mouth. The small victory he felt was marred by the food tasting like nothing to him. He knew it should taste fine, no haute cuisine for sure, but it was all as ashes in his mouth. He swallowed and reached out slowly for his drink. As his fingers touched the condensation on the cold glass, he shuddered a little and realised that he could not enjoy anything again while he still worried about his oldest, closest friend.

* * *

Ignis awoke in the early hours to the faint sounds of Prompto muttering in his sleep. Not knowing the time, he thought it best to let his companions sleep on. They could certainly use the rest after everything that had happened. Moving as quietly as he could, he felt his way to the door of the caravan and slipped out, finding his cane propped by the door as he went.

The desert was mostly quiet, the omnipresent clicks and chirps of bugs the only noise, save for the occasional creak of the garage metal roof in the breeze. It must be before dawn as when he raised his face to the Eastern sky he did not feel the warmth of the sun yet. Sitting down with a sign on one of the plastic chairs, he sighed quietly. Best to enjoy the moments of peace now, as he was sure they would be few and far between in the future.


	3. A Reluctant Passenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is left alone in Hammerhead to await transport into Lestallum, but his driver isn't quite what he expected.

 

 

Almost a week had passed, Gladiolus had reached the Hunter Outpost in the late morning of the day he left and had contacted their shopkeeper in Hammerhead via radio to pass on word that he would be accompanying one of their patrols to Meldacio so that he could help them to predict where the worst trouble spots for daemons were going to be. He had managed to pull a few strings and said that somebody would be along to give Ignis a ride to Lestallum soon.

Prompto had been kept busy helping Cindy to scavenge metal from local wrecked vehicles and abandoned buildings, the two of them driving out at first light in the tow truck and only returning once it was piled high with salvage. It was taking them most of the day now, the local supplies running lower, but there was a sizable scrap pile being amassed beside the garage. It was certainly going to help in building defences and Ignis hoped that other settlements nearby had heeded their warning and started to collect materials too.

For the lack of anything more constructive to do whilst he awaited transport, Ignis had been repeatedly pacing Hammerhead, familiarising himself with the layout until he could navigate his way without too much trouble. It was frustrating for him not to be constantly working on something or another and he was suffering from mild headaches most days that he was sure were not entirely due to his injuries. By midafternoon he had completed many laps of the settlement, checking on what tomorrow’s plans were for Cindy and Prompto’s scavenging and talking over a few ideas for defensive structures with Cid, and was standing by the entrance to the forecourt when he heard the distant sound of an engine. There were no deliveries scheduled today, he had asked both Cid and Takka earlier, though he had the timetables memorised by now.

It astonished Ignis how much he, and most people, had relied so heavily on his vision when he could see and now how much more he would pay attention to his other senses now that he had no choice. He could hear the vehicle more clearly now, recognising the deep rumble of the engine as one of the Culless Munitions’ vans travelling slower than usual, Ignis made his way over to the gas pumps to meet the new arrival.

There was something different about the sound of the van as it pulled into the parking lot in front of the garage. It sounded lighter, the panelled sides rattling with a hollow sound as it hit the bumps on the forecourt, followed by a piercingly high metallic screech as the driver hit the brakes. Ignis winced, the sound disorienting him for a moment. He reached out to lean on one of the gas pumps, shuddering slightly as he recovered.

The thunk of boots hitting concrete signalled the driver jumping out of the cab, closely followed by Cindy’s voice,

“What in the world is that din?” she yelled, striding out of the garage. “Oh Cassy? What happened to your truck?”

“Ah, I know, I know Cindy,” the driver replied, her voice obviously tired. “I meant to come in two weeks ago to get the brakes fixed but the Hunters had me make this huge rush order and I just kinda forgot.”

“What have I told you before, she won’t keep you runnin’ if you don’t treat her right.” Cindy sighed. “How about I take a look at it while you go introduce yourself to your passenger? That’s him over there.” She motioned towards Ignis.

“Cindy, you are the best!” Cassy gave the mechanic a swift hug then strode over to the gas pumps with a spring in her step. “Uh, hey, you’re the one who needs a ride to Lestallum, Idris, right?”

“Ignis,” he replied, clearing his throat. “I’m Ignis, and yes I need to get to Lestallum.”

“Right, Ignis. Sorry, I’m terrible with names.”Cassy chuckled to herself, “I’m Cassy and I’ll be your ride, but fair warning, I’m used to shipping things around, not people. Cindy’s going to be a while fixing my truck so you mind if we go grab a drink in the diner? I’m parched.”

“Of course,” Ignis nodded, “After you.”

Cassy made her way into Takka’s Pit Stop, closely followed by Ignis. By her gait and the position of her voice, he judged her to be almost as tall of himself, unusual for a woman. Her heavy footsteps told him she wore the same sort of practical, heavy boots as most of the Hunters.

* * *

Inside, the two sat at the bar and after purchasing a cold drink for herself and a coffee for Ignis, they sat in silence for some time before Cassy turned to him and asked, “So what’s in Lestallum that you need to get there?”

“Promise me you can keep this quiet,” he replied in a hushed tone, leaning closer to her, “The people have to be warned, that the demons, the darkness, it’s all going to become exponentially worse before it gets better. I’m only telling you so that you know how vital it is I get to Lestallum so they can start preparing.”

“I had noticed the nights are getting longer,” she murmured, “But if it’s going to get worse so quickly, we’d better move! Even a day difference could mean we help even one more person!” Cassy rose from her stool at the bar, taking her soda with her. “Drink up, if we go now we can still make it today.”

Ignis hesitated, his hand on his cup. “Are you sure? By now it must be getting on for late afternoon and the journey takes hours. We’ll never make it before sunset.”

“Sure we will, come on!” After letting him drain the last of his coffee, Cassy grabbed Ignis by the arm, barely leaving him time to snatch up his cane before they were out of the diner door. To his relief, she slowed as they went down the steps but the feeling was short-lived as she ushered him across the parking lot to her truck. Leading him to the passenger side door, Cassy put her hand on the handle and said; “Follow my arm down,” Ignis did so, “There’s the door. Hop in and make yourself comfortable, I’ll go see what I owe Cindy for the repairs. Back in a minute!” She was gone before Ignis could utter a word, the heavy sound of her boots running over the lot becoming quickly more distant as she ran into the garage.

Ignis climbed into the cramped passenger seat of the Culless truck, his knees almost touching the dashboard. He was still trying to get comfortable in the lumpy, aged leather seat when the driver’s side door opened a few minutes later.

“We’re all set, Cindy fixed the brakes for now and already threw your bag in back with the rest of the cargo. I hope there's nothing fragile in there!” Cassy said with a chuckle as she started the truck, it’s time worn engine a more harsh noise than the vehicles of the Capital that he was used to.

“Erm, no,” Ignis replied, adding under his breath; “Thankfully.”

“Then off we go to home, sweet home.” she pulled the truck out of Hammerhead and onto the road.

“Are you entirely sure we’ll get there?”

“Of course we will. I know these roads like the back of my hand!” Cassy feigned outrage at his question, smiling as she took the first corner and sped up.


	4. Faded Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Circumstances conspire to make Ignis and Cassy stop for the night and he gets to know his new driver a little more, but just where does Cassy remember him from?

 

“You drive this route often?” Ignis asked.

“Hmm I do more deliveries to Meldacio than anywhere, but I come this way sometimes if I get any special orders from Cindy or I need her to look at my truck.” Cassy replied, “I take it from your accent that you’re not exactly from around here?”

“No, I came from the Capital with a small group.”

“You don’t have a Lucian accent either. In fact, your accent sounds really strangely familiar. “

“My family is from further afield, that’s true, but I’m afraid I don’t recall ever having spoken to you before.”

“Eh, maybe I’m just imagining things. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Well you could be right,” Ignis admitted awkwardly. “I used to say I would never forget a face but that’s difficult now.”

“Oh yeah, I guess.” Cassy paused for a short while, then asked “So, what happened anyway?”

Ignis hesitated for a moment, swallowing some bit of emotion, before turning his head towards the side window and saying “It is of no consequence.”

Feeling like she had said very much the wrong thing, Cassy turned her full attention back to the road and drove on in silence.

* * *

An hour later, the sun was making a rapid descent towards the horizon, the sky already shifting to tones of orange and purple as the clouds were illuminated from underneath. It was only now that they were in the middle of nowhere that it dawned on her that she might actually have miscalculated how long their journey would take. Pushing her foot down a little harder, she sped up. Maybe she could take a shortcut, shave a little off the journey while it was still light. Picturing the layout of the roads in her head, she sighed. There were no short cuts this way into Lestallum, it was the main road or nothing.

“Shit.” she whispered.

“Something wrong?” Ignis asked, clearly still paying attention even if he pretended not to want to talk.

“Uh, no. Just the sun’s going down fast. It must be later than I thought.”

Ignis grunted.

“We still have over an hour until it’s properly dark.” Cassy said, resolutely. “We can still do this, right?” Her voice betrayed her false confidence and Ignis shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“I very much doubt it,” Ignis replied matter of factly, “I couldn’t make the drive to Lestallum in under 4 hours in a much more competent vehicle.”

“Hey! My van is competent!” Cassy cried, stroking the steering wheel. “Don’t you listen to him, old girl. I love you just the way you are.”

Ignis stifled a chuckle. “The point remains we can’t make it before it’s dark. Best we find lodgings for the night and set off again at first light.”

Letting out a long sigh, Cassy replied, “Yeah, you’re right. We should be coming up on the Alstor service station just round this bend. I hate to waste the light but there’s no other stop until Lestallum this way.”

“If memory serves, they have a caravan for hire there.”

“Are you paying?” Cassy chuckled, “Cos I didn’t get paid nearly enough for this job to throw gil away on the prices they charge. I’m good sleeping in the back of the van. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I do have some funds left over from my time hunting with the P- er, my friends. It should cover one night in something a little more comfortable than the back of a truck.”

“Well if the room’s on you then I’m in! I’ll even let you call first dibs on beds.”

The truck rounded a long bend and there in the distance were the lights of the gas station. It was only a few minutes later that Cassy pulled into the parking lot, killed the engine and slumped back in her seat.

“Something wrong?” Enquired Ignis.

“No, nothing. Just savouring the quiet, you know? After all the driving I’ve done in the past couple of days, I guess it’s going to be nice to have an evening to myself.”

“Indeed. Moments of peace seem to have been far too few and far between recently.”

“You hungry? I could eat a spiracorn.” As if on queue, Cassy’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food.

“I suppose the diner will have to do, again, though it barely qualifies as food.”

“Are you kidding? I love their fries! Maybe a little too much, recently, but still. Delicious! You some sort of food critic from the big city?”

“An enthusiastic amateur chef, I think is more accurate.” Ignis opened his door and stepped out of the truck.

“Really? Well if you can do so much better you’ll have to cook for me some day!” Cassy shouted over the roof as she too exited the vehicle. “I’m something of an amateur taste tester!” she added, laughing.

“It seems everybody is when there’s mention of good food.” Ignis said, making his way slowly towards the diner.

* * *

The sun had set. With their food eaten and the caravan rented, Ignis and Cassy made their way to their lodgings for the night. Ignis had paid so Cassy had let him take the key without a word.

“Ladies first,” he said, unlocking the door and pulling it wide open.

Cassy hesitated a second, unaccustomed to such traditional manners. “Oh, thanks.” she said, smiling and stepping into the van. Heading straight for one of the sofas, she reclined and stretched out across the long seat with a grunt. A smell of dust wafted up from the slightly threadbare material, mixing with the warm desert air that came in with them.

Propping his cane up against the counter, Ignis closed the door behind himself, muffling the noises of the desert. He sat down on the opposite sofa, taking a deep breath and stretching his neck from side to side. “I never thought I’d welcome spending time in an old caravan in the middle of nowhere.” he mused. “Ah, but what I would give for a proper soak in a hot bath.”

“Hey, it’s not so bad outside the big city,” Cassy said, propping herself up on an elbow to look at him. “You make it sound like we’re all living in hovels with buckets for toilets or something!” she laughed.

“You’re from Insomnia too, are you not? Don’t you miss anything from the city?”

“Well sure, I miss some things like the technology, the food. I don’t miss the crowds, though. I much prefer the quiet out here. It’s why I always begged my Dad to take me with him when he made deliveries out of the city. I loved our trips out.”

“You mentioned earlier you were making deliveries to Meldacio, was it a supply run?”

“In a way. They sent in a huge order for my weapons not long back, paid a good sum up front too.”

“Weapons?” Ignis raised his eyebrows, surprised.

“Yup, I’m a smith. I make everything from kitchen knives to guns, though I’m known for my blades most.”

“Really? That seems like an unusual career choice for a woman.”

“It was only natural for me. I was brought up by my father mostly, Mom died when I was young, so it was kind of a given that I’d follow him into the family business.”

“He is a smith too?”

“Only the best in Insomnia, Constantine Durans himself.”

“Of the Fabricus Ironworks?” Ignis sounded amazed, sitting forward. “Weaponsmiths to the Kingsglaive? I’ve seen his work in the Citadel, it’s beautiful.”

“In the Citadel?” Cassy frowned then sat up suddenly, exclaiming, “That’s where I know you from! I should have known I’d never forget an accent like yours.”

“You are familiar with the seat of the Royal Family?”

“I should be, the Royal Armoury was practically my second home when I lived in the Capital. I virtually grew up in my Dad’s workshop there. Yeah, now that I think about it, I think I remember you coming by for your first official Crownsguard weapons.”

Ignis shifted uncomfortably, “Forgive me,” he said, “I’m afraid I cannot recall you from that day. Maybe if I could see your face I would.” He hung his head wistfully.

“Ah you probably wouldn’t know me anyway, I’ve changed a lot since then and so have you, well apart from you never did lose that accent and your perfect annunciation.” Cassy chuckled to herself.

“A lot has, indeed, changed since those days.”

“So if you were out of the city when the Empire attacked, I presume it was for important Royal business?”

He sighed, “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now. Yes, I and two other members of the Crownsguard were escorting the Prince to Altissia where he was to meet with Lady Lunafreya and they were to be married.”

“The Prince didn’t die in Insomnia?”

“No, he did not. His Majesty sent us away from the city before the invasion began, charging us with his protection and companionship.”

“So, where is he now? And the rest of your party?”

“His Highness was forced to stay behind on an operation in Gralea while the rest of us returned. Gladio went to help the Hunters and Prompto and I stayed in Hammerhead.”

“Prompto Argentum? The blonde guy following Cindy around like a puppy?”

“Yes, you know him?”

“Only by reputation,” she chuckled, “He had quite the reputation amongst the teenage girls in Insomnia, had his own little fan club I think. Not really my type of thing, though.”

“So I heard, but I admit I thought it was mostly in his imagination.” Ignis reclined on the sofa, shaking his head.

Looking out of the small windows, it was completely dark already and Cassy yawned, suddenly tired. The long day of driving had finally caught up to her. “I’m beat, mind if I get the lights and hit the hay?”

“Go ahead. The light doesn’t make much difference to me, anyway.”

“Oh, yeah.” she muttered as rose from her seat and reached for the light switch.

“You take the bedroom,” Ignis said, swinging his legs up onto the long seat and folding his arms behind his head. “I’ll be perfectly fine here.”

“Thanks. Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Cassy went into the tiny caravan bedroom and slid the flimsy door shut behind her. It certainly was no luxury, but it was also not the worst place she had managed to sleep. Slumping onto the bed fully clothed, she was asleep within a few minutes of her head hitting the pillow.


	5. Morning Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassy and Ignis bond over a mutual love of fresh-brewed coffee, but their newfound companionship proves to be a distraction.

 

As she turned over in the small bed, a shaft of pale morning light hit Cassy’s eyelids, waking her. She let out a low moan and turned her head away from the window. Morning already? Even with the nights growing longer, she never felt like there were enough hours of darkness to sleep. Hugging the thin cover and inhaling deeply, she was about to get comfortable again when the scent of fresh coffee hit her nostrils. The warm smell made her mouth water, pulling her further from her somnolence, though her body protested. Her muscles protested as the primal part of her brain began to wake them up, to make them move and she slowly rose to sit on the edge of the bed. With her eyes still closed, she inhaled again the rich scent, sending the comforting feeling it brought into her limbs as she stretched out her neck and shoulders. Running a hand through her hair, she stood, wobbling slightly as the last dregs of sleep clung to her. Only one word made its way through the morning haze. Coffee.

Sliding open the flimsy bedroom door, Cassy squinted into the light in the larger part of the caravan to see Ignis looking very much at home at the small stove in the kitchen.

“Morning,” he said, cheerfully.

Cassy slid out of the narrow door mumbling, “Morning. You made coffee?” she asked as moved to sit on the couch nearest to the kitchen.

“Indeed. No better way to start the morning.”

“A couple more hours in bed would be better,” she yawned, again inhaling the warm, bitter scent of coffee and listening to the faint gurgle of the pot finishing brewing harmonising with the sounds of the desert morning creeping in through the open window.

“Hmm, you sound like Prince Noctis. He’s never been a morning person.” he took the now quiet coffee pot from the stove and poured two large mugs. He set one on the side by Cassy’s head, then moved a small plate beside it, saying “I’m afraid breakfast is only snack cakes from the gas station, but I promise the coffee is good.”

Taking the cup in both hands, Cassy inhaled the steam. “This smells amazing.” she said into the cup before carefully taking a sip. The black liquid hit her tongue, the bitter tang instantly washing away the last of her drowsiness. A second sip filled her mouth, warmed her palate and caressed her throat as she swallowed the delicious warmth. “Oh my god, is this actual Ebony?”

“Yes, from my personal supply. That’s the last of it, I’m afraid.” Ignis replied sadly.

“Mmmm, I haven’t had fresh brewed Ebony for years. I used to pick some up every time I went into the Capital but I’ve never had chance on my past few visits.”

“I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised to meet somebody else who can actually tell a decent cup.” he said, picking up his own cup and plate and carefully making his way to the opposite sofa. Cassy could not help noticing how he moved with grace despite not being able to see his surroundings and she caught herself staring at Ignis for a little bit longer than was polite.

“Good coffee is the only reason I can function before noon.” she said, reaching for the sugary, baked treat and wolfing it down in a couple of bites, chasing it with another gulp of her drink.

Ignis found himself thinking of how familiar this situation felt. Many times the only way he could coax Noctis out of bed was with his favourite foods, but at least his new temporary travelling companion appreciated good coffee much more than the prince ever had, despite all of his efforts to teach Noctis. He thought to himself that it was a shame he had not met Cassy under different circumstances, maybe he would have even made a new friend. Who knew? It was best not to dwell on the past, especially now that there was so much about to happen in the future.

He ate his cake with no joy, the overly refined taste dull on his tongue. Not that he would ever complain out loud, but he sorely missed cooking. It had always been the one chore he had liked doing for Noctis through all of his service to the prince. Sipping at his own cup of Ebony, it tasted somewhat more bitter than usual, perhaps because it was the last of the supplies he had brought with him from Insomnia. There had still been no concrete reports about the state of the Capital and there were not likely to be any while the Empire still held the city. He finished his breakfast in a sullen silence.

* * *

With breakfast finished, the pair packed up what little they had and once again set out in Cassy’s van, only a few hours worth of driving was between them and Lestallum. It was mid-morning, the sun was creeping higher, barely peeking through the solid grey clouds ahead of them. Barely a mile out from the gas station, a steady rain started to fall, loud against the metal roof of the truck. The constant noise was giving Ignis a headache and so he sat in silence, thinking, trying unsuccessfully to block out some of the sound.

“Looks like we’re in for a cooler one,” Cassy remarked, “Thankfully.”

“It does smell like rain,” Ignis said, coaxed out of his reticence by the inane small talk. Small talk was good, it was easy. “Not a fan of the warmth?”

“Not really, it’s hot enough working on a forge. I don’t need any more heat.” she said, stretching her neck and leaning a little further back in her seat.

“Why move out to Lestallum if you dislike the weather?”

“It’s the only place outside Insomnia that’s got enough power to run my forge and I got a good deal with EXINERIS. I make some of the specialist parts for the power station and they give me a great discount.”

“Why not stay in the Capital? Surely the technology and facilities there are superior?”

“I got my setup working as well as my Dad’s in the city, maybe even better these days. I guess I just wanted to spread my wings and step out from my Dad’s shadow, you know?”

“Ah, an impressive goal. Your father must be proud of you.”

“Yeah he is. Well was the last time I spoke to him. I haven’t actually got to see him in a couple of years and the phones won’t go through since the invasion.” Saying it out loud made Cassy’s stomach feel like it dropped into her shoes, her skin cold as if somebody had thrown icy water over her.

“Most lines of communication were cut by the Empire, though I know quite a lot of people from the outside districts made it out of the city. Do you know where your father was?”

“He-” she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then breathed; “He was supposed to be at the Citadel.”

“Oh,” Ignis whispered, “I am sorry.”

Cassy opened her eyes, staring unseeing into the distance. Was her father dead? Her subconscious had prevented her from thinking about it until now, protecting her from the pain that now seemed to start clawing at her insides. This was the longest time that she had not heard from her father, they would normally speak on the phone every week. A lump welled up in her throat and she felt the first prickle of tears come to her eyes. Screwing up her face for a moment, she took a deep breath through her nose to calm herself, telling herself that she could not break down here. She would not. Exhaling, she opened her eyes only to see a group of garula making their slow way across the road not far ahead of them, the van hurtling towards them at speed.

“Shit!” she yelled, making Ignis almost jump out of his seat before she slammed on the brakes, the screeching sound of the tyres drowning out Ignis’ shouts and startling the animals, making them stop in the middle of the road and look towards them. They were going to hit the beasts if she did not do anything, so she slammed the steering wheel as hard as she could to the left, sending the van into a sideways skid on the wet tarmac and only slowing them a little. One of the larger animals saw them heading on a collision course and bellowed for the rest to move before galloping across the rest of the road. A smaller garula was frozen in fear, right in the path of the vehicle.

“Oh shit, shit, shit! Hold onto something!” Cassy grit her teeth as the world seemed to slow, her knuckles white on the wheel as the truck came to impact on the bulky young animal. Ignis had braced himself against the truck door and the dashboard, the impact flattening him against the reinforced metal and sending a web-like crack across the glass. Cassy was thrown from her seat with the impact, flying across the cab and impacting Ignis so hard that the breath was knocked out of her. The van teetered on two wheels for what seemed like an eternity to him before it slammed back down onto all four wheels and Cassy fell, slumped unconscious over his knee.


	6. Waterfalls and Potions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of their crash, Cassy is hurt and Ignis is forced to be the one to act to save them both.

Cassy lay on something warm and soft with her eyes closed, a sound something like that of a waterfall roaring nearby. A heady smell of berries, spices and coffee filled her nose. It should be a relaxing combination, but something didn’t quite feel right. She tried to breathe in more of the pleasant smelling air, but a sharp pain lanced through her right side and forced her to take only shallow breaths. Her head was swimming and the roaring sound was growing louder and mixing with something else. A voice. Somebody was shouting. Straining to hear, Cassy focused on the words.

“...ake u… Cass..” It was a male voice, one she knew. “Cassy?”

On hearing her name, Cassy’s eyes fluttered open but her vision swam, blurry. Everything was grey and the roaring noise had become the hammering of heavy rain on the metal roof of her truck. She groaned.

“Cassy, are you awake? Can you hear me?” The voice was that of Ignis and she winced at how loud it was right next to her ear, closing her eyes again. With a gentle touch of his gloved hand on her cheek, he said “Say something.”

Cassy said the first words that swam through her mind, “Fuck, that hurts.”

“Oh, thank the gods, you’re awake.” he sounded relieved, “I thought I was going to have to go and walk for help for a moment there. Can you move?”

“I think so,” She said, testing her limbs one by one, she was able to move them all. Pushing herself up, she opened her eyes again to come face to face with her passenger, barely a few inches between them. She caught herself staring again, despite the pain, thinking of how soft his lips looked and how they were the perfect shade of blushed pink against his fair skin. The scent of sweet berries and spices was his cologne, a clean and comforting smell that seemed to entrance her.

“Could you, erm, get off me? It’s not exactly the most comfortable of situations here.” He said, awkwardly. His breath still smelled slightly of coffee. He was frozen in place.

Snapping back to her senses, Cassy pried herself off his lap and slid back into the driver's seat, apologising and swearing in equal measure. As she straightened up, pain lanced through her right side again, causing her to inhale sharply through her teeth. Unlike Ignis, she had not prepared herself for the impact and had damaged something on impacting him. Reaching across her body with her left hand, she gingerly touched her ribs.

“Shit!” She grimaced. At least one was broken.

“You’re injured?” Ignis asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Yeah, my ribs. You’re not as soft a landing as I thought.” She chuckled at her own joke then immediately regretted it as the movement made the pain worse. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I am fine, but I should go and get help.” Ignis said, searching around the cab for his cane. “You can’t continue driving like this.”

“No, you don’t have to. I’ve got some potions in back for emergencies, they're old but they should still work.” She leaned her head back on the seat, breathing fast and shallow. “You’ll have to go get them, though. I can’t move much.”

“Potions, right. I can do that.” Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he set his worry aside and searched the cab for his cane. Having found it not far from his leg, Ignis used his shoulder to force the now stiff truck door open and gracefully exited the vehicle. Moments later the back doors opened and he nimbly vaulted into the cargo bay. “You’ll have to direct me,” he said, feeling along the chest-high shelf of one wall.

“They should be on your right, in the far corner in a small metal case with a handle on.” Cassy shouted from the cab, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her side.

“Right.” Ignis crouched down and followed his right hand wall, carefully feeling ahead and then shuffling forwards until he felt the cage on the back wall. He then felt down the back wall and the right until his hands met on a small, almost square case. A tap of his gloved fingers told him that it was indeed made of metal and after double checking for the handle he lifted it out from the lipped shelf on which it stood. “I think I have it!” He called through to the cab, then felt his way back out of the truck. Cassy winced as he slammed the rear doors shut a little harder than was necessary and rocked the vehicle slightly.

Ignis opened the cab door and slid back into his seat with the case on his lap, saying, “I think I found the right case.”

“There’s no lock, just a catch on the top.” Cassy said. “Can you open it for me?”

“Of course.” he deftly opened the catch and flipped the lid, his lack of vision clearly not robbing him of his fine motor skills. He held the case open to Cassy and she turned to look into it.

“Shit, only one left.” she reached for the last vial of bright blue liquid. The other three slots in the foam of the box were empty, save for one which had the broken remnants of a phial, glinting in the low light. “You sure you’re not hurt?”

“As I said, I am fine. Besides, you need to get us to Lestallum. It’s not like I can drive.”

“Right,” Cassy sighed, pulled the vial towards her and squeezed it hard. A sharp crack of glass was followed by specs of blue-green light covering her body. The vial evaporated. Relief was immediate and with the pain gone, she took a deep breath. Her side still felt weak and it took more effort than usual to breathe but she could move again without being in pain. Putting her hands back on the wheel, she turned to her passenger. “I’m sorry for this. I got distracted. There’s no excuse, you trusted me to get you-”

“Cassy.” Ignis interrupted her, his tone sharp, “You got distracted, but blame gets us nowhere when where we need to be is Lestallum. There can’t be too much light left and I would like to secure some sort of lodgings before day’s end.”

“Of course,” she murmured, “You’re right.” Feeling like an admonished child, she started the engine, turned the truck back onto the road and drove on towards the town in silence, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as his harsh words stung her heart.

* * *

A short time later, Cassy parked her truck up on the road through Lestallum.It was twilight already, though it was only mid-afternoon. The light was a sickly, pale colour as it strained through the thickening clouds and as she looked out towards the Disc of Cauthess, the sky beyond was a dull grey washed with small hints blue and orange, nothing like the beautiful sunsets she had become used to.

“Sunset already,” she sighed, then murmured, “Funny how you rarely appreciate something until it’s gone.” as she walked towards the town steps.

Ignis stayed silent, her words hitting him a little too close to home and his mood darkening as he realised he would never see a sunset again. Even when Noctis brought back the Light, his world would remain dark forever. She had obviously not meant for him to hear, though she had underestimated how much he could hear. Setting his emotion aside, he took a deep breath and started slowly along the paved roadside towards the town steps following Cassy. Now was not the time to let his feelings rule him, he had a duty. A duty to help his Prince, his friend,to save the people of an entire nation and further afield. The whole world. Such a burden was what he had trained his whole life for and he must not forget that now.

Cassy was waiting by the first of the food stalls at the foot of the main square and she called out to Ignis, straining her voice to remain happy, “Hey, you know your way around well enough or do you want a hand?”

Ignis took a moment to consider, weighing his desperate need to not be a burden to those around him against his desire to acquire lodging and begin the preparations that were needed. “For the sake of speed,” he admitted grudgingly, “I think it best if you lend me a hand.”

“Okay!” she replied. Eager to be of help after their somewhat disastrous journey, she almost skipped to his side with a renewed smile on her face. “Here, take my arm,” she stood beside Ignis and proffered him her left elbow. He took it, his gloved hand resting gently on her bare arm.

“So, where to?” Cassy asked.

“I think my first stop should be The Leville.” he answered dispassionately.

“Right,” she said cheerfully, hiding her disappointment at his apparently still sour mood.

They walked through the square and into one of the side alleys, Cassy setting a slow but smooth speed so that Ignis did not trip on the uneven stone pathways. Wanting to alleviate the awkward mood between them before they parted, she paused by the steps in front of the hotel and turned to him.

“You know, I’m sorry about being pretty much completely useless these past couple of days,” she nervously pushed back her hair with her free hand. “All you wanted was a ride into town and I managed to fuck just about everything up.”

“Yes, well, I’m here now and that’s all that matters. No sense in dwelling on the past that we cannot change.” he replied smoothly.

“Right, so, erm, if you ever need any weapons making, or anything fixing, you come see me and I’ll set you up free of charge. By way of apology for almost getting you killed.” she half grimaced at her own cliched tone.

Ignis raised his eyebrows, “I don’t think we were ever actually in any mortal danger, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless.”

“Ok, so five more steps up and you’re free of me.” she muttered, half to herself, as they ascended the last steps before the hotel door.

Feeling the cooler air coming from the inside of the building, Ignis turned to Cassy and forced his best diplomatic smile. “Thank you, I can manage from here.” he said, taking his hand from her arm.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around, then.” she replied, walking slowly backwards away from him as he turned to enter the hotel. Turning to head for home, for some reason her legs would only take her as far as the fountain before something made her stop and sit on the cool stone. The air by the water feature was cooler and she breathed it in hungrily, the muscles on her right side still complaining a little.

‘Damn, I really fucked up today.’ She thought, idly trailing her fingertips through the surface of the water. Being somewhat clumsy and overly enthusiastic, she was used to making mistakes, but almost crashing her van and putting Ignis’ life at risk had hit her harder than she realised. His face flashed into her mind and she found herself staring at the hotel door he had entered.


	7. Room and Board

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis attempts to secure lodgings at the Hotel Leville in Lestallum, but his usually perfect plans have crumbled along with his self esteem.

Ignis stepped into the cooler air of the hotel Leville, the air conditioning making his hair sway slightly in the breeze.

“Good evening, sir.” The man behind the desk said with the usual forced air of happiness that comes with a job in customer service. “How can I help you?”

“I would like a room, please, just for myself if you have one.”

“Certainly, sir,” the man opened the large, red leather bound check-in book. “And how long is it that you wish to stay with us?”

Ignis wished that he didn’t have to be here at all, such was the grave news he had come to warn the populace about, but as usual his practicality and training took over and his wish was little more than a passing thought. “No more a week, I should think.”

“Ok, I’ll put you down for the week and if you leave early, we’ll be happy to refund your fees, minus a small charge.” the receptionist began to jot down notes in the huge book, pencil flitting over the pages in a masterful way. “How will you be paying today, sir?”

A cold, sinking feeling hit Ignis in the stomach. He had not thought about money. For most of his time on this journey with his brothers in arms, he had been keeping close tabs on their gil, but now he realised that without their hunting rewards and odd jobs and Noct having taken the bulk of their money with him, he was down to pocket change. “Oh, erm, I had hoped that I could stay in town to earn some money before the bill was due.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, sir.” the receptionist said, his perfectly fake smile slipping and his pencil falling to the desk with a sharp clatter. “It’s new hotel policy that we’ve been getting so many people coming to town that we take payment upfront now.”

“I see.” Ignis nodded, “Then I am sorry to have wasted your time. Goodbye.” He turned towards where he heard the sound of the fountain outside and carefully stepped outside, remembering to find the steps down with his cane. Last time they stayed at this hotel, Jared and little Talcott were in charge. Another chill went through him despite the balmy air. The old man had been another innocent victim of the Empire and Ardyn’s schemes, probably killed just for associating with Noctis. His shoulders slumped. As the Prince’s chief advisor and tactician, he felt the weight of every innocent soul lost, each one a burden on his shoulders, each one a failure on his part to foresee the danger to the people around him. Even having trained all his young life to fulfill the role he had and he would never allow it to cloud his judgement, Ignis was just a man after all. He kept his emotions bottled up, but he felt them all nonetheless.

Allowing himself a moment of weakness, he hung his head and took a deep breath, rubbing his aching forehead. The additional amount of concentration that he had to put into simply navigating his surroundings these days was taking a toll on him, leaving him exhausted and suffering with headaches most days. At a loss as to what to do about his accommodation while in the town, he had just begun making a mental list of contacts he could ask for a favour when the sound of footsteps in heavy boots close by caught his attention.

“Uh, hey again.” he recognised the voice as being Cassy. She must not have gone far away to have returned so soon. “You okay?”

“Er, yes.” Ignis said instinctively before shaking his aching head. “Actually, no. I find myself wanting for gil at the moment. Something I’m embarrassed to say I did not think about in all of the confusion of what has happened recently.”

“Oh, well. Shit.” Cassy said, her boots scraping on the stone as she shifted uncomfortably.

“I have some contacts here, I’m sure I’ll be able to sort something out given a little time.”

“I, uh, don’t mean to sound harsh but you look like you’re exhausted. I’ve got a spare room, you’re welcome to stay with me until you get something sorted.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose.” Ignis scratched his head nervously.

“Eh, you wouldn’t be in the way. It’s a spare room. Or do you really want to be wandering the streets for the next few hours calling on everyone you know?” Cassy laughed, leaping up the steps and taking a surprised Ignis by the elbow. “I’ll need to move some stuff about but it’ll be fine, come on!” Leaving him no room to respond with anything more than a few confused noises, she led him down the hotel steps and off across the square, saying cheerfully as they climbed another set of steps, “Hey, maybe you can count this towards me paying you back for earlier!”

“Indeed.” was all that Ignis could reply. After all, he did not really consider Cassy to owe him anything. Accidents could happen to the best of drivers and his momentary frustration at her lapse in concentration had been long forgotten, though she seemed determined to make it up to him. Perhaps then it was for the best, he decided, to let her continue. If nothing else it would afford him some time to think, to rest.

The pair walked up another set of steps and through one of Lesallum’s narrow alleyways, making their way across town until they came to the Culless weapons shop. The male shopkeeper called out to them from behind the counter;

“Hey, Cassy! Nice to see you back safe.” his voice was cheerful. “You brought a friend to shop?”

“Nah no shopping today, just helping Ignis out.” she motioned towards her companion.

“Ignis? The Prince’s friend?”

“Yeah!” Cassy replied brightly before Ignis could open his mouth.

“Oh well if there’s anything you and the Prince need, just ask!”

“Ah, thank you.” Ignis managed to say, nodding towards the direction of the voice before Cassy began moving again. They did not go far before she stopped again.  
“This is us. Let me get the door open.” Leaving Ignis’ side, she kicked a broom out of the way and opened an old, blue door into a dark interior. “Mind the step up, then we’re straight onto the stairs up.”

“Right,” Ignis said, making his way up the step and into the building.

“Go on up, I’ll get the door and be right behind you.” Cassy sidestepped into a dark room, her footsteps echoing on hard surfaces. A smell of metal and oil hit his nose, reminding him almost of the Hammerhead garage.

“Very well.” he searched for the bottom of the steps with his cane, then found an old iron handrail to his right, his gloves catching on the pockmarks of rust as he climbed up. The stairs were made of solid wood, obviously well cared for, but they creaked and shifted slightly under his feet, attesting their true age. He counted fourteen steps as he went up, then there was a short landing with a door to his left. Cassy, true to her word, hopped up the stairs a few seconds after he had reached the top. She slipped past him in the narrow hallway and opened the door with a click of the lock.

“Well, here we are,” she said, walking through the door, clicking on what he assumed to be a light, then turning back to Ignis, “Come on in, I’ll give you the tour.”  
Ignis stepped forwards through the door and Cassy quickly took hold of his arm. “Follow the right wall from the door and you’ll get to the kitchen,” she put his hand against the wall and walked ahead, forcing Ignis find his own way. He smiled to himself, a tiny upturn of his lips. It was pleasantly refreshing to have a stranger not treat him like he was completely incapable, he liked that already about Cassy. Trailing his hand across the rough paintwork of the wall, he followed it, his cane in his left hand ensuring his way forward was clear. Five paces forward and his cane tapped against something solid. Feeling forwards, his hands came across a countertop that ran perpendicular to the wall he had followed into the room.

“If you follow the sofa on your left now, you’re headed right to the bedrooms.” Cassy continued, walking on ahead of Ignis. He counted nine steps across the room, following the back of a slightly threadbare sofa and a plush chair. “Now if you give me a minute,” she continued, “I’ll just move some stuff out of the spare room.”

“If you need a hand, I can help.” Ignis offered.

“Nah, thanks. I’m good!” she called back, having already hurried off into the room.

“Very well,” he muttered, feeling his way to the wall beside the doorway, he leaned his shoulder on the cool, painted surface and waited.

After a few minutes of low struggling noises coming from the bedroom, Cassy re-emerged carrying a large wooden box with an assortment of items balanced precariously on top of it. Setting it down with a loud clunk and a sigh of relief, she came back to Ignis and said, “Your room is ready. Right this way, sir!”

Ignis sighed internally at her enthusiasm, it was almost as boundless as that of Prompto, but at least it would stop things becoming too boring. He idly thought how well she and his blonde friend would get on, and then shook his head at the potential migraine in that situation before following her through the doorway and into a small hall that stretched out to both sides of him.

“Left is your room, right is mine and the far right end is the bathroom.” she said brightly, shrugging, “That’s pretty much everything. It’s no Insomnia apartment but it’s home.”

“I’m sure it will be perfectly adequate.” Making to go into his new room, Ignis paused and turned back to his host. “Thank you, for this.” he said sincerely, then entered his new room and closed the door behind him with a soft click. Searching around, he found the bed first and flopped into it with none of his usual grace. He was mentally exhausted and though he had told Cassy he was unhurt, he winced at the bruises on his back as they hit the bed. It was not the first time he had lied like this and it would not be the last, but for now at least, he could relax. Feeling his aching muscles finally releasing their tension, Ignis let his exhaustion overcome him and passed out.

“Erm, I’ll let you get some rest,” Cassy said from outside, her voice muffled by the wood of the door, “I’m going to take a shower, okay?” A few seconds passed followed by her footsteps down the hall.


	8. Not Good Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassy's feelings begin to stir, but would the Crown Prince's advisor really ever be interested in a lowly blacksmith?  
> Meanwhile, Ignis relives the recent past that he just can't seem to shake.

 

Flipping the bathroom light on, Cassy checked her watch in the yellow artificial light. It was barely three o'clock in the afternoon but already a slice of black sky was visible above the rooftops she could see through the small, frosted window pane. Fatigue hit her hard as she started the hot water, but her head itched from all the sand that she had picked up driving through the desert. Breathing the steam in deep as it hit the cold tiles, a sharp jab of pain raced through her side as the air hit the bottom of her lungs, causing her to grit her teeth. Those potions were a little less effective than she had hoped.

Careful not to stretch out her right side, Cassy undressed and climbed into the shower. The water was a little warmer than she normally liked, the hot weather combined with working at the forge for hours made her crave cool water most of the time, but after the initial sting of heat, she could feel it seep into her muscles and soothing their stiffness. Closing her eyes, she lent a hand on the cool tile let the heat work into her neck and back, emptying her mind and concentrating on her breathing.

After a minute, a nagging thought broke through her peace. She had seen Ignis before somewhere. It was in the Citadel, years ago, when she was just starting to learn from her father the real art of making weapons. She had been practising shaping swords, learning how to create the best balanced blades by crafting wooden practice weapons that new Crownsguard recruits would use during training. Cassy had been working particularly hard on a sword that her father had told her the Prince himself was going to use and at the time she had just put the finishing touches to the weapon, oiling the wood to keep it supple when a young man came into the workshop. He exchanged a few quiet words with her father, who pointed her way, then approached her. He had never introduced himself, but she remembered him as seeming older than his years, dressing and acting much older than his age of fifteen at the time. He was polite, neat, responsible and now Cassy remembered, she had thought he was very good looking even then. Of course, she never thought more of it back then, he was a teenager and one in the direct employ of the King himself at that.

Grabbing her shampoo, she opened her eyes and shook herself mentally out of her memories and returned to the present. Working her hair into a lather, Cassy’s mind was stuck on the man who was now in her spare room. There certainly was no mistaking that he had grown into an attractive young man, even with his recent injuries. A cold thrill shot through her body despite the hot water as she pictured Ignis’ face, accompanied by a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. The bubbles from her hair tickled pleasantly as they ran down her neck and over her breasts, her skin suddenly more sensitive. She followed the suds down herself with a hand, feeling her nipples harden as she touched them. Cassy knew the signs of lust in her body well, but she sighed, knowing nothing could come of wanting a man who appeared to be still as devoted to his job as he ever was. Lowering the temperature of the water, she quickly rinsed the last of the soap from her hair then turned off the shower as her stomach growled, seemingly awoken by the heat now that she was home and safe.

* * *

In the smaller bedroom, Ignis was shifting uncomfortably in his sleep. A sheen of sweat covered his pale skin and his face was contorted with pain. Ardyn danced through his dreams, mocking him, baiting him, delighting at all the misery he had caused. The bright sunshine on the stone buildings of Altissia burned Ignis’ eyes, sending stabbing pains into his brain. He had to run, had to keep moving, keep people safe from the traps Ardyn had undoubtedly set, but there were no people. Only bodies lay in the streets, every one staring up with unseeing eyes frozen wide in fear. He slowed to almost a stop, the guilt of failing so many people weighing down on him. A voice ahead, made indistinct with echoes but sounding so familiar.

“Noctis?” Ignis yelled, “Noct, where are you?” There was no answer, so he pushed on forwards, regaining a burst of energy with the desperation to help his king, his friend. If only he could round the corner, he was sure he could find the Prince, sure he could save him, but no matter how hard his legs worked, he seemed to be slowing down again.

Looking down, Ignis saw the hands of the pale bodies grasping at his feet, their dead eyes silently judging him. “Noct!” he cried, kicking at the hands to no avail. As soon as he rid himself of one, two more would grasp him, pulling him downwards, down to his knees as their bloodless fingers crawled their way up his legs. He was not strong enough, not fast enough, not clever enough. He could not save his friend when he needed help the most. The corpses pulled him further and further down, towards the edge of a dark pit where he could hear the sound of moving water and the screams of dying people coming from far below. Down on his stomach, he desperately reached out a gloved hand, calling for his friend as a dark figure came around the corner of a pale building ahead. It had to be Noct, he had done it, he had found the way to use the crystal and he was here to save everybody. Ignis allowed himself a moment of hope, his heart leaping with the warm feeling.

“Oh dear,” the figure spoke, but its voice was not Noct’s. “Really, this is the King’s best, most clever adviser? Pathetic.”

“Ardyn.” Speaking the name drove an icy cold spike of fear through Ignis’ chest.

“Yes,” the Chancellor drawled, walking up to where Ignis lay, “Well done. It’s me.” he chuckled. “If I’d have known just how useless you and the rest of the people in your little city were, I would have had Niflheim invade years ago.”

“You bastard!” Ignis yelled, his normal calm facade broken in desperation, “You’ve killed thousands of innocent people, and for what?”

“Oh, tut, tut, you still haven’t worked it out. Too bad. Looks like you failed your duty to the little princeling. Just not good enough.” Ardyn smiled, squatting in front of Ignis, cocking his head to one side.

Dead hands moved faster, bringing with them the inky black substance that gave birth to the daemons, their fingers curling into claws. His hands forced down and pinned to his sides, Ignis felt himself slipping, being enveloped by tendrils of blackness as he was dragged further into the dark as fingers covered his face, blinding him completely, pushing their way into his mouth, down his throat. Choking, he tried to call out but could not find the breath to form the words. Feeling his thoughts fading, Ignis fell, into the eternal darkness that lay below, the sound of Ardyn’s laughter echoing through his mind.

Just as he felt his consciousness slipping away, Ignis awoke, a cold sweat soaking his shirt. Passing from one darkness to another was utterly disorienting, it felt like he was still falling until he reached out and felt the painted brick wall beside the bed not moving. His stomach reeled from the sensation of falling, bile burning his throat as he dry heaved, desperately feeling around the small room for trash can. His foot found it first, a loud clang assaulting his ears as it hit the side of a dresser. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it simply made his disorientation worse and he fell to his knees, still heaving and his eyes watering at the burn of acid in his throat. Finally finding the trash can with his hands, he put his head low to it and heaved again, losing what little he had eaten in the past few hours. Slumping against the wooden dresser, he breathed heavily and waited for the world to stop spinning around him.


	9. Shock Treatment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassy helps Ignis recover from his nightmare, but he cannot seem to tear his mind away from his Prince's fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long, I struggled with finding the words to tell the scene that I wanted but I hope I made up for it by making it a longer one!

 

Cassy was almost done getting dressed when she heard a pained shout then a loud bang, making her pulse beat hard in her ears, adrenaline shooting cold through her system. She dropped the t-shirt she was about to put on and rushed from her room and into the hallway, down to her spare room and opened the door without a second thought. Inside, she saw Ignis slumped in the corner by the desk, his shaded glasses held loosely in one hand a sheen of sweat covering his face and darkening the front of his shirt.

“Oh shit!” she whispered, almost leaping across the room and falling to her knees between his long legs asking, “Are you okay?”

Ignis mumbled “Ah, I think so. I think the world has stopped spinning around me now.”

“You’re white as a sheet,” Cassy instinctively reached out and placed her hand gently on his cheek left cheek, her thumb brushing the rough, pink scar below his eye. He flinched, turning the damaged side of his face away from her instinctively. “And freezing cold to boot. What happened?”

“Just a dream. It’s nothing, really.” Ignis shook his head, partly to clear his own head of the last oily strands of his nightmare still clinging to his thoughts.

“Nothing doesn’t make you get like this! You’re in shock, for pity’s sake! Can you stand? We need to get you out of this damp shirt and get you warm.”

“I believe so.” he felt behind his head to brace himself on the desk as he eased himself up from the floor with an undignified grunt. It took more effort than he would like, but he made it to his feet on his own even if every muscle in his body felt like it was shaking. Cassy stood and stayed close to him, her hands on Ignis’ arms to steady him as he regained his balance.

“Put your arm around me, you still look like you’re going to pass out.”

He flushed slightly, silently hoping that it was not visible in the low light as he had not heard a light switch on. Practicality won out against his pride, as it usually did for Ignis, and he looped a long arm around Cassy’s waist, glad to have something other than sheer willpower holding him upright. The soft curve of her body and supple, cool skin felt good under his long fingers, making him suddenly remember he had been solely in the company of men disinterested in anything like romance. Well, not with him, at least.

“Come on,” Cassy’s voice interrupted his thoughts of happier times when he had touched somebody like this, suddenly making him very glad to be hidden in darkness, “Let’s get you sat down on the sofa, we’ll take it slow.”

Ignis replaced his glasses, still feeling naked without them, then the pair began to make halting progress into the living room, Ignis needing to steady himself on the walls from time to time. Finally reaching the sofa, he almost cried out with relief as he sank into the soft cushions, letting his head loll back onto the worn material.

“Hey, don’t pass out again yet.” Cassy’s voice was stern beside him, “Take your shirt off while I go get you a blanket.” her footsteps, lighter now without her boots, left the room rapidly.

Something in the back of his mind made Ignis want to make a joke about this being wholly inappropriate being that they had only just met, but it was too much effort to will his mouth to form the words. Instead, a small smile tugged at one side of his mouth as he leaned forwards a little and began to unbutton his purple animal-print shirt, concentrating to get his fingers to work the way that they should. This was uncannily like being drunk, he thought, though without all the fun parts of getting there.

Returning after a minute with a blanket and having donned the shirt she dropped earlier, Cassy hesitated for a moment in the doorway as her eyes met the sight of Ignis stripped to the waist, his smooth skin a stark contrast with the dark, worn material of her sofa. She had assumed Ignis would be the bookish type, going by his pale complexion, glasses and his so deliciously refined way of speaking. Yet here he was, half naked and showing off a very well toned and surprisingly muscular physique. Cassy licked her lips subconsciously as she felt a wave of warm lust roll up from deep inside her. How long had it been since she had even had a man in her apartment? The primal side of her brain replied instantly, ‘Too long.’

Ignis shivered, wrapping his arms around himself, clearly still suffering the after effects of the terror that ran through his subconscious, reminding Cassy that she needed to help him. Taking the last few steps back into the living room, she shook out the blanket then made Ignis jump slightly by leaning down over him to put it around his shoulders. As she leaned close to him, her cheek brushed his soft hair and she could smell the last remnant of his cologne still clinging to him.

He let out a little sound of surprise before saying “Th-thank you.” pulling the blanket tight around his shoulders and hugging himself.

Cassy blushed, turning her face away from the man in front of her despite knowing he could not see her. “S-stay there,” she stammered, the memory of his perfectly sculpted upper body still very much fresh in her mind. “I’ll get you a drink.” Almost tripping over her own feet as she went, Cassy crossed the room into the kitchen and took a deep breath, the air seemed much cooler over here and her cheeks burned.

_‘Damn,’_ she thought, _‘he sure did grow up to be a fine young man.’_ Taking another deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat, she set about preparing coffee for the two of them. Her hands were unsteady as she took down two mugs and set them on the countertop, the adrenaline of shock wearing off combined with lusting after the man sat on her sofa making her unsteady. She needed a drink. Ducking down to look through the cupboard under the sink, she moved some cleaning products aside to reach her secret supply of booze. Lifting a bottle out, it was lighter than she had expected, almost empty already. It had been a harder few weeks than she would like to remember.

“Ah, Cassiopeia? It just came to mind,” Ignis said from the sofa, his voice a little less sluggish, “We left my baggage in your truck. I have nothing to change into.”

“Shit, yeah we did.” Cassy set the bottle down and turned back to him, “I can run and grab them now if you want?”

“I’d be much obliged.” he said with a forced smile over his shoulder.

“Right. Anything else you need while I’m out?”

“Just…” he paused, “Do you have a radio? I don’t think I can bear the silence right now.”

“Oh, no not up here, but I can put the TV on if that helps?”

“Yes, thank you.”/p>

Switching the television on with the remote on her way past, Cassy slipped on an old pair of workboots and left her apartment.

Left alone, Ignis let his facade of strength drop, collapsing into the plush cushions and letting his head fall back, his eyes closed. The world has finally stopped spinning around him, but nausea still clung to his stomach even as it growled with hunger. Taking slow, deep breaths, he tried to centre himself as he had a thousand times before when his emotions threatened to get the better of him. His thoughts turned back to his years of trying to teach Noctis the same sort of techniques, to make the hard decisions that he would need to make once he was king with a logical mind. The Prince never mastered it under his teaching, but the last time he had seen his friend, as they were forced to part so that the Prince could reach the Crystal, Ignis had seen that steely determination in his friend’s dark blue eyes that he would need to lead. He was glad, but it was not a position that he envied Noctis for having, though he had promised King Regis himself that he would protect his son. The very man he had been forced to leave behind by Ardyn Izunia. The chancellor’s last words in the Gralean hangar echoed through his mind, “If you wish to obtain the Crystal’s power, you must be prepared to lose all else.” Just how much more could Noctis lose and still be able to banish the daemons?

Focusing on the inane chatter of commercials playing to themselves on the other side of the room, he tried to forget what had played through his sleeping mind, it was just his imagination. His rational mind knew that it was a falsehood, yet what Ardyn had said was true. He had not been smart enough, fast enough or strong enough to defeat the chancellor. He had failed Noctis and the people of Altissia all in one fell swoop, possibly dooming the entire world in the process. Now Noct was alone, somewhere, his father and beloved bride-to-be dead, his friends out of reach and his city lost to him. Ignis’ brow furrowed and he clenched his fists. No. He must maintain faith. He must believe that Noctis would return from wherever he may be, he will reclaim the throne and end the suffering Ardyn was causing, and yet the seed of guilt had buried itself in the back of his mind. If only he had been clever enough, this all might be over already.

His heart simultaneously hurt and felt empty as he thought of the friend he loved so much. He had been by Noctis’ side since they were both children, they had grown together in many more ways than simply age and experienced so much together. They had made it through Noct’s trying schooldays, his preparation for leadership, physical and political training, his mostly terrible attempts at cooking and even through Ignis’ awkward but thankfully short-lived infatuation with the Prince when they were teenagers. ‘That was certainly a very trying six months,’ he thought, able to look back now in mild amusement at an experience that had felt like the end of his limited world at the time. Young, unrequited love seemed like such a small problem in the world he knew now. Smiling to himself, his mind on happier memories, he felt his muscles began to relax. Thinking of the past reminded him that Cassy had mentioned they had met many years ago and he soon began wracking his brain to see if he could remember what she had looked like back then, or anything about their meeting.

* * *

Having become lost in his memories, Ignis was shocked back to reality when Cassy noisily returned, juggling Ignis’ bags and a brown paper bag. Her hands full, she kicked the door shut with a loud bang and swore quietly under her breath as she saw him jump at the sudden noise.

“Sorry!” she yelled, “It’s only me. Got my hands full.” Dropping his bag near the door for the time being, she crossed to the small kitchen and set down the paper bag. “I picked up some food while I was out, you should eat something to get your energy back.”

As if in answer, Ignis’ stomach growled loudly as he said, “Indeed, though I would like a fresh shirt first, if you please. There should be one in the top of my bag.” Bouncing back to the doorway, she unzipped Ignis’ bag, feeling slightly awkward for pawing through a stranger’s belongings. Sure enough, there was a clean shirt folded on top of everything, crisp white with blue pinstripes. Taking it out carefully, the fabric was soft and smooth against the work worn skin of her hands. Ignis obviously had good taste in clothes as well as coffee. Crossing back to the sofa, she held out the shirt to her guest.

“I found it, here.” she said, her heart leaping as Ignis stood up, letting the blanket fall from his muscular shoulders. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she flushed at once again having him half naked right in front of her.

“Thank you,” he said, taking the shirt from her and quickly putting it on, leaving the top few buttons undone and sat back down, slipping back into the warmth of the blanket. Cassy hurried back into the kitchen, switched off the stove, split the last of the liquor into the two waiting mugs and poured the two of them coffee. Taking two plates from a small stack in the cupboard, she opened the take out containers and split the contents between them, releasing steam and filling the room with the smell of spicy marinaded meat and vegetables.

“I hope you like kebabs,” she said as she brought a plate and mug over to Ignis. “I figured we wouldn’t stand on ceremony and could eat finger food in front of the TV.” “I think I will have my coffee first, if you please.” he said, reaching his forearm out of the blanket. She passed him the mug, using her free hand to curl his nimble fingers around the handle and ensuring he had a good grip on it before she let go. His hands were still cool and he cradled the drink near his chest to absorb its warmth.

“Careful, it’s hot.” Cassy said, placing his plate on a small table by the side of the sofa, she then returned to the kitchen with a touch of pink showing on her cheeks and picked up her own meal. Sitting on the opposite end of the sofa, she began eating her meal with gusto, watching Ignis as he inhaled the steam from his cup and seemed to relax more with the familiar smells.

“This is an interesting scent,” he said, “What did you put in it?”

“Just a little something to help calm your nerves. Try it,” she replied with a smile.

Ignis sipped the hot brew, rolling his tongue through the liquid to properly taste it. “Oh, coconut and… alcohol?”

“Yeah, good for shock, or so my Grams used to say.”

“I’m not much of a drinker myself, but this is quite pleasant.” He sipped more coffee, glad of the familiar bitterness dancing on his tastebuds and warming his palate. Coffee was one of the small pleasures he allowed himself in life, though he had to admit he had started drinking it as a means to get through his long working days when he was still in college. As with many people, he had not liked it right from the start, but he found with some rigorous taste testing a brand that was palatable and his brewing methods had improved with time. Now, he was reliant on it for more than just the caffeine content, it was a warm comfort when they had been camping in the middle of nowhere, fighting for their very lives against gods and men alike. A taste of home.

“I might not be a five star cook, but I can make good coffee.” Cassy said, lifting her cup in a mock toast to herself then taking a large swig from it.

Ignis gulped down most of his coffee then turned his attention to his food, nimble fingers exploring the table and finding his plate easily. Cassy watched him, captivated by how he was slowly adjusting to his dark world and admiring how he still ate with grace and managed to make less of a mess than she did. Curling her legs up beneath her, she tore her gaze away from the man still huddled under a blanket on the other end of the sofa and towards the TV.

“Cool, there’s a movie starting soon. Want to watch it?”

“Would that I could,” he replied softly, a hint of bitterness tainting his normally polite speech.

“I’ve seen it before, I can tell you what’s happening. I used to do it for Grams when her eyes were bad.”

“In that case, go ahead.” Ignis was touched by the small kindness, it was good to have somebody do something considerate of his needs for a change, instead of he always being the one to be sensible and work around everybody else.

The pair sat with coffee cups in hand as Cassy animatedly explained the setting of the movie to Ignis, his ear cocked towards her as he listened to her voice and the dialogue at the same time. It was a new experience for him, a challenge to listen to both things sometimes simultaneously, but after a while he began to build a proper picture and even to almost enjoy himself. His mind was at ease with something benign to concentrate on and having a friendly voice beside him was comforting, more so than he had felt before only knowing somebody for mere days.

* * *

Halfway through the movie, Cassy turned to Ignis to ask him what he thought of her narration, only to see his head resting on the back of the sofa, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady. He was sound asleep, a peaceful look on his face. Smiling and shaking her head, she turned back to the TV and continued to watch in silence.


	10. Breakfast Fit For A Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis attempts to repay Cassy's kindness by cooking her breakfast, but his loss of vision causes problems.

 

The smell of cooking food wafted into Cassy’s nose from the kitchen, rousing her from a deep slumber. She rolled over in her bed, not wanting to get up and face the work that she would have to get back to today. No sunlight shone through her window, just the familiar orange glow of the street lights. Was it really morning already? Reaching for her phone, she half opened one eye to check the time, wincing at the bright white light. Seven thirty, earlier than she would normally wake up, but then again she did not normally wake to such a delicious smell. Her stomach betrayed her, again, growling quietly underneath the bedsheets and eliciting a sigh from her lips. Rolling onto her back, she willed her eyes open and blinked in the dappled square of light making its way through her thin curtains. Inhaling the delicious scent once more, she frowned as realisation hit her and the thought ran through her mind ‘Who the hell is cooking?’

Still in her shorts and strappy top that passed as pajamas in this heat, Cassy rubbed her eyes and yawned as she made her way into her combined kitchen and living room. Her brain, still slow with the last dregs of sleep, struggled to comprehend what she saw there. Ignis was in the kitchen, apparently putting the finishing touches to what looked to her to be the most magnificent breakfast she had seen since leaving Insomnia. He turned his head, hearing her bare feet hitting the cool floor, a pan of food in hand and nodded towards her small dining table.

“Won’t be a moment, if you’ll take a seat I’ll bring it right over.” he said, sounding much more light of heart than he had yesterday.

“Okay,” she said slowly, moving to sit on one of her simple wooden folding chairs with one leg folded under her, “This is weird… nice, but definitely weird.” she said, looking over the table, fully set like she had never bothered to do herself, with wide eyes. A cold glass of orange juice was waiting beside her place setting and she eagerly took a swig to wake her taste buds.

“Well, after what happened yesterday and with you so kindly letting me stay here while I sort out alternative accommodation,” he slid something onto a plate and stepped over to the table, one hand trailing the worktop and then the fridge to keep his bearings. “I thought it only right that I find some way to both cheer you up and repay you for your hospitality.” He set a plate down in front of her and returned to the kitchen for his own.

“Wow, well remind me to crash my van more often if this is the result,” she chuckled, picking up her fork and breaking into the soft yolk of an egg expertly fried into the middle of a slice of bread, sending the yellow oozing over the side of crispy bacon and making her mouth water. “This looks amazing!”

“Oh, come now. It’s nothing special, just something I cobbled together with what you had in your kitchen.” he replied smoothly, sitting down with his own food and picking up his cutlery as Cassy dug into her breakfast.

“I had all of this in my kitchen?” she asked around a mouthful of food, making Ignis visibly wince at her unladylike demeanour.

“Indeed. Though I would have liked to add a little more seasoning, I’m pleased with how it came out.” he said, reaching carefully across the table for his own glass or juice. “I’m afraid I had to forego coffee as I couldn’t find your supply.”

Looking up from her plate to tell him where she kept her stash of beans, Cassy froze on seeing Ignis’ right hand. He had a wet cloth wrapped around his palm, the raw, red edges of a burn peeking out as he opened his hand to grasp the glass.

“What happened to your hand?” she asked, grabbing his fingers across the small table. “You’re hurt!” her voice raised in concern as she gently started to unwrap the makeshift dressing.

“It’s nothing,” Ignis tried to pull his hand back, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as Cassy grabbed his wrist tighter, her food all but forgotten. “I just had a little trouble with your stove.” he explained quietly.

“You burned yourself,” she said as she gently took off the cloth, “Why didn’t you say something? I can help!”

Ignis said nothing, instead turning his head away and furrowing his brow. Cassy let go of his hand and he instinctively cradled it to his chest, the pain biting fresh as the air hit his wound.

“Wait right here, I’ve got just the thing!” almost leaping from her seat, Cassy left the table and in a moment was across the room and out the door, her bare feet slapping against the wooden stairs as she ran down to her workshop.

Left alone, Ignis’ facade dropped for a moment, letting his face fall. He felt ashamed that he had spent hours simply finding his way around the kitchen and more time and broken eggs than he would like to remember to make a dish so simple. In the early hours, unable to sleep after the few hours rest he had gotten while Cassy was keeping him company, he had decided to make himself useful. In a way it had backfired, as he sat at the table before dawn, crying over the fact he struggled to crack an egg without getting shell into the mixture. Months ago he could have done it with one hand while reading from one of his many recipe books or holding a conversation with his friends.

Now, his eyes still stung from the tears of frustration, though he felt a little better in himself now that he had been able to produce an acceptable, if imperfect, reproduction of one of the recipes he had first mastered through use of the sheer willful determination that he had learned over the years of looking after a particularly petulant young Prince. Perseverance was the key, he well knew that he had not the luxury of resting on his laurels while the world fell slowly into chaos. He would persist in finding every way possible he could be useful and to lessen the burden he was to those around him. Taking a deep breath, he knew what he must do, though as he heard footsteps quickly scaling the stairs and thought back to his injured hand, he was not sure he believed he could do it.

Breathless from rushing down and back up stairs, Cassy returned with a small jar held close to her bosom. The door closed behind her with a sharp bang as she made her way quickly across the room and to Ignis’ side.

“Give me your hand,” she said, opening the jar and putting it on the table. An acrid smell came from it almost immediately, making Ignis wrinkle his nose as he tentatively held out his burned hand, the red welts on his palm upwards.

“I know it stinks to hell and back but trust me, it works.” she said, kneeling beside his chair and gently taking his long hand in hers. Scooping out some of the foul smelling salve, she smoothed it over the wound, causing Ignis to suck air through his teeth as fresh pain shot through his palm. “Sorry!” Cassy said, grimacing as she rubbed the substance further into his damaged skin with skilled fingers. Despite the situation, she could not help noticing he had beautiful hands with long, slender fingers and his skin was supple, no stranger to work but very well cared for. She caught herself caressing his hand a little longer than was needed, not wanting to lose the warm contact just yet.

Ignis had opened his mouth to protest the added pain when it suddenly stopped. All he could feel was the cool, sticky substance on his palm and the gentle touch of her cool hands holding his. Lost for words, he blinked behind the shaded lenses of his glasses.

“See, told you it works.” Cassy said, finally letting go of his hand and standing up, her cheeks stained pink. She was no prude, that was for sure, so why did she find herself blushing like a schoolgirl around Ignis? Shaking her head silently, she closed the jar and stepped over to the sink to wash the bad smell from her hands.

“You’ll need to leave that on for an hour or so,” she said over the sound of running water, “I’ll help you wash it off later because you do not want to get any left over in your mouth after.”

“I can hardly believe it,” Ignis finally spoke. “The pain has completely gone! What manner of magic is that stuff?”

“Grams’ special burn salve, she says it’s been a secret family recipe for a hundred generations or something.” she replied, drying her hands and coming back to take her seat at the table. “Good thing it works too or I’d’ve been out of the job years ago. Being occasionally clumsy and working with hot metal is not a good combination, surprisingly. This stuff has saved my hands countless times.”

“It’s truly amazing. Could it…” Ignis trailed off, his heart refusing to let his tongue acknowledge the injuries to his face out loud even as his stomach leaped with vague hope.

“I’m sorry,” Cassy knew what he meant, “I keep it down in my workshop because it only works within a really short time of you first burning yourself.”

“I see.” his stomach dropped as he turned back to his breakfast, hanging his head as depression robbed him of his appetite. He should have known better than to hope for even a little relief from the stiffness and occasional pain he felt in the scars on his face.

Seeing his sad expression, Cassy’s mouth formed words before her brain had time to properly filter them. “Hey, if you’re down about your good looks being ruined, don’t be.” Her eyes widened as she instantly realised that she had said that out loud instead of in her head and the pink flush spread from her cheeks to turn all of her face scarlet.

Ignis pushed himself up from his seat, his voice toeing the line between anger and sadness as he said curtly: “You needn’t give me false platitudes to try and make me feel better.” then hurried out of the room, trailing the unfamiliar walls with the back of his hand as he went.

Cassy was left stunned, confused as to why she had said such a thing to practically a stranger, but one thing she did know was it had been sincere. She managed to mumble “I mean it.” just before she heard her spare bedroom door click. Her stomach growled, reminding her of the delicious food that had gone cold waiting for her and after a sigh, she ate the rest of her breakfast in silence.


	11. Honest Money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After recovering from the previous day, Ignis sets out to earn enough gil to rent a room and stop being a burden upon his new acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the epic delay on this chapter, but a combination of writing another fic, writer's block for how I wanted to write this chapter and starting a new batch of crafts for my business made me all but abandon this for the last few weeks.  
> I hope you enjoy and keep the faith that I will carry on updating this fic! It is not dead!

 

“Ignis?” Cassy called out as she knocked gently on his door, “It’s been an hour, you need to wash the salve off your hand or it’ll dry your skin out.” There was no answer. Sighing and feeling guilty, she said “Well, I’ll be in my workshop if you need me.”

Her eyes downcast, she padded out to her front door and put on her heavy work boots. Why did she always have to put her foot in it and say the wrong thing? Stupid mouth, always one step ahead of her brain. With a heavy heart, she left her apartment and went down the stairs into her workshop. The smell of metal and oil always lifted her spirits a little, it was the smell of her father, of home. Today, though, it reminded her that she still did not know where he was, or what had happened to him. Pulling out her phone as she had a thousand times before, she tapped in the long memorised number and waited without much hope as dialled. No answer, not even a connection, just the same as the last time. Setting her phone down on her desk, she swallowed the lump in her throat that still came up every time, wishing she could become numb to this, at least for a little while.

* * *

In his room, Ignis’ mind was a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings, whirling about and making his head hurt. He sat on the edge of his bed, the pain mixing with his inability to see was leaving him nauseated and the only way he could see out of it was to take his mind off it, to set emotion aside like he had done a thousand times before and do what was needed of him, what was practical. So why did it feel so hard this time around? Why was it so godsdammed difficult not to worry about Noctis, not to keep thinking about his friends, his allies and hells, even the woman he barely knew that was being so kind to him? Then again, the feeling that she was only helping out of pity for a blind man stung. Ignis was not, by nature, a prideful man, yet what she had said at breakfast had hurt him more than he would like to acknowledge. He did not think himself particularly beautiful, though he had had his fair share of admirers, even lovers, but surely it would hurt any man to have his face disfigured so?

Reaching up to his cheek, he gingerly crept his fingertips up the smooth skin until they reached the ragged, burned flesh of his wound. It was too much, he pulled his hand away, shaking, his stomach clenching. His skin may not hurt any more, but the pain was still fresh. Losing his sight felt more like losing a part of his soul. If he had lost an arm, he could learn to use the other. Lost a leg, he could learn to walk all over again. There was nothing he could do to compensate properly for losing the sense that he relied on the most. Feeling lost, with a hollow pit seeming to suck any hope out of him, Ignis clenched his teeth and scrunched up his face, willing the tears not to fall again. He could not lose it. Not now, not yet.

Digging his short nails into his palms, he took a ragged breath to steel his nerves. The small, sharp pain and the stickiness of the salve on his burned hand as he pressed his fingertips into it brought him out of his stupor. He simply had to think logically. Practicality would see him through, and right now he needed to clean his wound, dress it and then to figure out a way to make money and rent a room in the hotel. One step at a time, he would do this.

Rising, he stretched out his neck and shoulders, breathing steady, controlled breaths. One hand trailing the wall, he let himself out of his borrowed room and made his slow way to the bathroom to bathe his hand. Feeling his way around the still unfamiliar room, he found the sink and turned on the cold tap, letting the cool water wash over the hot skin of his palm. It was pleasant in the dry heat that even persisted through the darkness and he found more than just physical relief as he concentrated on the simple task. Stroking his other hand with his fingertips, he washed away the salve, marvelling at how little his hand hurt now. He paused in his action, suddenly remembering the gentle touch that had applied the salve in the first place. Could a woman with such a caring touch really despise the way he looked? Or had he been hasty in thinking that she had spoken a lie out of pity? Perhaps he should apologise. Later when he was not feeling so fragile.

* * *

Downstairs, Cassy had thrown herself fully into her work, her skin glistening with sweat in the orange light of her forge as she hammered out and shaped some blanks to be made into parts for the power plant. Working with her hands had always been her sanctuary from actually having to think about her life, a way to isolate herself mentally from the anguish of not knowing the fate of her father, her grandmother, her friends back in the city. The clash of steel on steel and the roar of her forge were like a kind of music to her, soothing and reminding her of happier, simpler times. She breathed deep the smell of hot metal and let herself be lost completely to the task in hand.

With his cane in his hand, Ignis took a deep breath and opened the front door to Cassy’s apartment. Feeling a little better, he steeled himself to do what must be done, to enquire around town for some way of making money, though he had no idea of what use a broken, blind man would be to the people of Lestallum.

First on his list of contacts was Holly at the power plant. They had helped her with many an odd job when they were last in Lestallum and he assumed the EXINERIS plant would be in need of more upkeep with all the additional power that was being used to light up the town now that it was almost perpetually dark. Visualising the town as best he remembered it, Ignis made his way slowly and carefully over to the plant.

By the time he made it to the back of the town, he was exhausted both mentally and physically. It took much more energy now to do even the simplest of tasks compared to the ease with which he had moved when he was able to see. Luckily, Holly was outside the plant when he reached it and her cheery tone did much to improve his mood.

“Oh, hey there, Ignis. Long time no see.” she paused to take in his cane and the shaded spectacles barely hiding his scars, “There something I can help you with?”

“It is good to see you too, Holly, and I am actually here to ask you the same question.”

“You… want to help out?”

“Indeed, I find myself a little light in the purse so I’m offering my services around town.”

“I-uh, I’m not sure there’s much you could help with in your… condition. I’m sorry.”

“I understand.” Ignis looked downcast despite knowing he would get this sort of reaction from most people. He turned to leave without another word, but Holly’s voice stopped him.

“Hey, you remember where all the valves are on the steam pipes? You helped with those once with the Prince, right?”

“I have a vague idea, yes.” he said, turning back to her.

“Pressure’s dropped a couple of bars recently so there must be at least two valves that have worked their way open. You think you’d be up to check around for me?”

“I believe I’m up to that.” Ignis’ spirit lifted a little. It was good to have a purpose, even if it was so small and only temporary.

“Come back when you can, then,” Holly smiled, “I’ll have some gil ready for you.”

With a nod, Ignis walked off with a determined pace towards where he knew the steam pipes began. Using his ears, he located the low metallic rumble of the pipes and paused, reaching his cane up to tap the wall until it came into contact with the metal with a dull clang. There, that was the first step done, he knew where the pipes were. Step two was following the low rushing sound along the walls and he did this with one gloved hand tracing the wall and his cane in his other, checking constantly for obstacles.

As with everything these days, he made slow progress but as he rounded the second corner of the building, he heard a hissing ahead of him. ‘That’s it!’ he thought victoriously, closing in on the sound and cautiously tapping the pipe with his cane until he felt the air become hotter on his face and then came to the offending valve. Reaching up he grasped the wheel that sat at head height and turned it, the old metal squeaking in protest until the hissing stopped. Wiping the sheen of sweat from his brow, Ignis stepped back from the wall, his arms and back aching. It had taken longer than he had thought to locate just one of the two problems and now the second could be anywhere along the rest of the pipes. With a deep breath, he steeled himself against the pain and started to feel his way along the pipes once again.

* * *

Hours later, Ignis returned to the gate of the power plant, dragging his feet a little with the exhaustion. The second valve had eluded him for a long time as he made his way along all of the pipework in the city. Of course, it was in one of the last places that he checked though he had persisted and finished the job he had started. He could walk with his head up high, if only it did not hurt so much to do so.

“Ignis, you’re back!” Holly shouted from the top of a scaffold as she spied him approaching the gates to the plant. “Pressure went back up some time back, I take it that was you?”

“Yes,” he called, following the rough direction of her voice “I managed to find two leaking valves.”

“Great! I’ll be right down with your money!” her voice was followed by a clanging of loud footsteps down a ladder, hitting the floor and then walking towards him. In front of him now, Holly spoke again “Here ya are, gil as promised.”

“Glad to be of help,” Ignis held out his hand and felt a small cloth bag of coins hit his palm. It felt like so little in return for his gargantuan effort, but it was honest coin and right now he needed it desperately and it felt like enough for a couple of nights in the hotel at least. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and set out across town towards the Leville.


	12. If I Should Tumble And Fall...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis attempts once again to secure his own accommodation at the Leville, but circumstances conspire to prevent him from doing so. Distracted by thoughts of Cassy, something most unbecoming of him happens in public.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew it's been a long time since no update, eh?
> 
> Sorry about that, I've been busy with my Etsy shop and other life stuff! But here is the next chapter!
> 
> WARNING: contains some gore!

 

“Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to the Leville. How can I help you, today?” A cheery male voice greeted Ignis as he stepped into the slightly cooler air of the hotel foyer. It was a different voice entirely to the man he had encountered on his previous visit, lighter, younger, almost musical, and he felt a little tension ease within. Though he was loathe to admit it, he was dreading having to face the rude apathy towards his predicament he had been met with the last time he was here.

“Good afternoon,” Ignis said, affixing his well practiced professional smile as he slowly followed the source of the receptionist’s voice to find the counter. His hand impacted the desk at an angle he was not expecting, sending a jolt of pain though his burn. Shaking it off as he aligned himself better, he spoke in as cheery a tone as he could muster given his exhaustion. “I’m here to enquire about a room.”

“Certainly sir, though we are almost at capacity. How many is it for?”

“Just myself.”

“Ah,” there was a brief shuffling of paper, “I’m afraid all our single rooms are fully booked. I could put you in a family room, but it would be a higher price.”

Ignis took in a breath to speak, but paused before he did so. Evidently word was spreading of the Empire's movements and people were already moving to the more densely populated areas. Releasing his breath in a low sigh, he shook his head gently. He could not in good conscience take up a room he knew other people would more desperately need soon enough. Even for as much as he wanted to be away from the confusing presence of Cassy and to remove himself as a burden to her, he could not bring himself to be so selfish.

“Ah, never mind,” he said, flashing the staff member a strained smile, “I don't think the purse strings will stretch quite that far today. Thank you, anyway.” He turned and made his way towards one of the open doorways, his cane sweeping the air in small, low arcs ahead of him.

“Thanks for your enquiry, sir. Hope we’ll see you again soon!” The smiling receptionist called after him.

As the warmer air of the town hit him once again, Ignis paused as he felt his heart sink at the thought of returning to that apartment, to Cassy, even as a part of it suddenly soared. What was it about her that so confounded him? His brow furrowed as he remembered how he had stormed out on her just this morning, knowing that he had to apologise for that sooner rather than later. She had not meant to offend, he knew that deep down and he was ashamed he had let childish emotion rule his reaction. Why was he unable to think quite straight around her?

Knowing he had to return to her, he took another deep breath and set out to make his way back to Cassy’s apartment. An image flashed into his head as he walked, he was holding her gently in his long arms as he apologised, stroking her soft hair. A warm feeling in his chest at the picture distracted him and he missed his footing, forgetting entirely about the three small steps down from the hotel.

Stomach lurching as he fell, he was completely disoriented for what felt like a long time until his outstretched arms impacted with the hard stone, sending shocks up both his arms. He cried out as his injured hand flared with white hot pain, the sensation overwhelming all of his senses as he tumbled sideways, instinctively clutching his gloved hand to his chest. Not hearing his cane clattering away or the shocked scream of a nearby woman, Ignis rolled heavily onto his left side, causing his still bruised ribs to complain, adding to the pain and bringing tears to his eyes behind his shaded spectacles. The agony sent his ears ringing and colours dancing behind his eyelids, reducing his world to simple suffering for a moment as he fought the urge to vomit, bile burning the back of his throat.

As the pain slowly subsided, Ignis heard muffled voices, felt gentle hands upon him as his brain adjusted and told him he was lying on the cobbled ground of the square, having unknowingly rolled to his left a few feet after the initial impact.

“Oh, Six! Are you okay?” a scared, high voice asked as his ears finally cleared enough for him to make out words.

“Somebody get help!” A deep voice said from high above him.

“N-no!” Ignis called, pushing himself unsteadily to sit up on the warm stone. “I’m quite alright,” he lied even as his head swam and another wave of nausea made his mouth water. “Where is my cane?” he asked, feeling around.

“Oh, here!” The high voice said just before Ignis felt the cold hardness of his walking cane thrust into his hand.

“My thanks.” Ignis tried to hide the shaking in his voice and his legs as he unsteadily pushed himself to stand. Feeling his cheeks begin to turn pink, he could not believe he had allowed himself to become so distracted.

“Are you sure you should be standing?” The deeper voice enquired from close by his year.

“I’m fine,” Ignis said, the shuffling of multiple feet telling him he had brought the attention of a small crowd. “None the worse for wear.”

“Do you need a hand?” A gentle hand touched his sleeve.

“Ah, just point me in the direction of the main square, I can take it from there.” Ignis feigned a smile even as his cheeks burned with shame at the attention he was receiving. His pride stung almost as much as his wounds as small hands directed him to face the square and his legs still shook as he set off, striding across the town as best he could and leaving behind a group of chattering, confused locals.

* * *

Leaning heavily on the frame, Ignis paused at the open front door to Cassy’s apartment and workshop. His legs had stopped shaking, but they ached horribly, much like the rest of his body as he stood for a moment and listened to the sharp, metallic clangs of the smith hammering out a new weapon backed by the low roar of her forge. As with his cooking, there was something calming and soothing about the sounds of everyday life, of work that needed to be done in spite of the looming possibility of annihilation. ‘We must always go on, no matter what.’ he thought to himself as he put one heavy foot on the first of the wooden steps and hauled his exhausted body up into the apartment. He knew what had to be done right now, though it would be appalling.

Once inside, his mind reverted to something more like the logical, planned thinking that he was accustomed to and he made his way into the bathroom to take stock of his injuries. His knees hurt from the impact, but thankfully he felt none of the hot, wet sensation that told him there would be blood. Thankfully his Crownsguard attire was made to take a lot worse punishment than he had unwittingly put himself through today. Slipping his arms out of his braces, he gently probed his ribs, wincing as he felt the bruises from the crash freshly aggravated by his fall. Nothing felt like it was broken, though there was little to be done even if he had cracked a rib.

For certain, his burned hand hurt more than it had when he had left earlier and even through his black leather gloves, he could feel a new heat radiating from the damaged flesh. Leaning over the small sink, he pulled his right glove off with his teeth, discarding it on the floor, and carefully began to peel back his left. The second he tried to pull the palm of his glove away, his right hand shrank back as the pain hit him once again, sharp and new. Drawing a sharp breath in through his teeth, he tried again, knowing that he had to remove his glove as soon as possible or he would face more pain and worse, more scarring of his hands, if he ignored it. Managing to pull a little off, his hand shied away with the pain as it drew hot, stinging tears to his shattered green eyes and caused a sheen of cold sweat to develop all over his body.

Taking deep breaths as the waves of pain washed over him, an idea came to Ignis and he held his agonised palm prone in front of him and removed his belt with his one good hand. Holding the belt in his teeth, he felt his way to perch on the edge of the closed toilet lid, his injured hand still over the edge of the sink. He braced his teeth against the leather, he took measured breaths in and out, in and out before steeling every nerve in his body as best he could and beginning to force the thin leather from his left hand.

“Come on!” he yelled to himself, his voice muffled by his belt. His words dissolved into a guttural cry as the fingers on his right hand grasped the glove and slowly worked it back upon itself. The white hot burning, stabbing pain increased the further he went and he could feel his skin tear, the skin still attached to the inside of the glove as he peeled it back enough to free his thumb was slick under his fingertips, making his stomach lurch and causing him to lose his grip.

Ignis stopped and sat back, his chest heaving with the effort and his pulse pumping hard in his ears with the surge of adrenaline. Grabbing for one of the hand towels he knew to be hanging against the wall behind him, he pulled it towards himself, wiping the gore from the fingers on his right hand so that he could regain his grip. He had to finish this before the adrenaline wore off and his body wanted to shut down.

Fighting the bile threatening to burn his throat, the tactician shifted the belt in his mouth and bared down anew as he began to pull again. Keeping his fingers on the dry edge of the leather and holding his hurt hand upwards, he peeled the glove over his hand more, turning it inside out as it slowly came away, bringing the loose, burned flesh with it. A rivulet of something hot ran down his forearm, soaking into the turned cuff of his shirt, but he could not afford to stop now.

“Nnnyyyyaaaah!” A wordless, primal scream ripped from his throat as he tore the last of his glove away, faster than he knew was pertinent, though he was not sure how much longer he could bare this pain. His belt fell from his teeth and landed with a soft clatter on the floor of the bathroom as he greedily sucked in cooling breaths. The air in the room seemed to burn with icy cold as it hit the raw skin and made bright patterns dance behind his eyelids, the fresh pain, combined with relief that the worst was over, was overwhelming and Ignis fell to his knees from the toilet seat, the glove and its grisly evidence left to drop into the sink. Clutching the hand towel to his fresh injury, he curled protectively around his hand, tears streaming from his mutilated eyes as his brain swam for a moment and an all too familiar voice whispered in his ear, ‘Just not good enough.’. Ignis cried out in inarticulate rage seconds before everything became cold blackness.


	13. Blood on Porcelain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassy discovers an unconscious Ignis and the horror that he's caused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long wait, I know, but I promise you all this fanfiction is NOT DEAD!  
> Also, this is the first chapter I have made a banner for, so let me know what you think! I'll be updating the previous chapters with banners soon too!
> 
> WARNING: Contains more gore!

   

 

“Ignis?” Cassie called out as she stepped out from the oppressive heat of her workshop. Had that been a scream she had heard? It was difficult to tell over the constant roar of her forge and the intermittent clang of metal upon metal. Listening carefully, there was no trace of any more unusual sounds coming from upstairs, but she knew the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach would not pass until she checked her apartment. Frowning, she strode back into her workshop, pulled off her heavy leather gloves and set them down on the bench. On her way out again, she hit the large red button near the doorway, cutting the power to her forge and setting it to cool for the night as she made her way upstairs.

“Ignis?” she called as she walked into her apartment. “Are you okay? I thought I heard a yell!” Pausing to wipe some of the grimy sweat from her face, she received no answer. “Huh,” she muttered as she walked across her apartment. Feeling the sweat on her exposed skin cooling in the more moderate temperature, Cassy stretched her neck to either side and made her way to her bathroom with the intent of showering the filth of her workday away.

The scene that greeted her when she flicked on the light was not what she expected. The first thing that hit her was the smell, not entirely dissimilar to the smell of her workshop, an acrid metallic tang hit her nose, seeming so out of place in the normally clean scented room. Second was the sight of blood, so much red, so many hues from bright scarlet to deep maroon. The dated yellow tiles around the sink were splattered with darkening droplets and the faded vinyl floor was home to an even more horrifying sight, making her stomach lurch and her heart hammer in her chest as a wave of cold shock ran over her skin.

At her feet, Ignis lay curled into a ball, out cold. Lines of drying blood traced sticky trails down his arm, staining his white shirtsleeves a shade of crimson to match the patch blossoming at this chest from where he clutched at a towel, soaked with bright blood, around his left hand.

“Ignis!” Cassy breathed, her voice as weak as her legs as she collapsed to her knees, Ignis’ blood quickly soaking in cold patches through the cloth of her work jeans. “Oh Six, what have you done?”

Her breath coming in shallow gasps, she could not help but stare at Ignis’ prone form, skin pallid and glossy with sweat, with wide eyes for a few seconds that seemed like a lifetime. Something inside her clicked and she reached out with a shaking hand to touch his cheek. A gasp escaped her lips as her soot-stained fingers made contact. His skin was icy cold. Leaning over him further, she checked the pulse in his neck, her fingertips slipping at first on the sheen of cold sweat coating him. Holding her breath, she concentrated and hoped. How could one man lose this much blood?

_‘There!’_ she thought, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt a pulse, thready and fast, but it was there. He was alive, but he obviously needed treatment. Scrambling to her feet on the blood-slicked floor, Cassy stepped around the unconscious man and reached up to the cabinet above her sink. Her shaking hands pulled open the mirrored door and began to move aside bottles, tubes and other containers she had forgotten she even possessed. Somewhere in here there was a potion, she knew it. Her fingers touched the glass, cool as Ignis’ skin in the warm room. There is was. Grasping at the phial in the back of the cabinet, her nervous hands fumbled and almost dropped it into the sink.

Looking down caused her to retch, bile burning the back of her throat as her eyes widened in horror. There in the sink was what at first looked alarmingly like a human hand.

“Oh fuck, no. Not your hand.” she whispered, the image of Ignis having cut off his own hand in frustration flashed before her. Unable to look away, Cassy stared at it even as she clutched the potion to her chest. Now that she looked closer, she saw that a thick clump of bloody flesh was wrapped around the dark shape of a hand. “A glove?” she asked herself. There was so much blood coating the sink and the horrifically meaty looking lump that it was impossible to tell. The thought of touching it to find out repulsed her and sent her retching, looking away from the tiny horror scene before her, back to the larger, yet far less gruesome one on the floor.

Blinking slowly, Cassy came to her senses. _‘Ignis needs help.’_ she thought to herself. Stepping back around his miserable form, she knelt as close as she could to him and set the potion carefully to the side of her. Carefully, she lifted his injured hand with her left, feeling the thin trails of blood beginning to crust on his soft skin. With her right she began to unwrap his makeshift binding, her fingers curling into the cold, wet towel and staining her skin red. Feeling the burn of bile creep upwards in her throat, she swallowed hard and took a deep breath of the coppery air as she slowly unwrapped the soaked cloth.

Underneath was a horror she was not prepared for. As the last of the cloth pulled away with a sickening sticky sound, she saw the true extent of his injury. Small edges of loose skin flapped back onto his palm as she let the towel slip from her fingers, breath catching in her throat as she struggled to process what she was seeing. Pale tendons and bone contrasted with dark subcutaneous flesh where the skin on his palm had completely gone. Nerve damage had caused his long fingers to curl inwards and with the pressure removed, blood began to flow in earnest again from his hand, running hot over her left hand.

With bloody fingers, Cassy reached across herself to grasp the potion, her hands shaking and her mouth dry. Carefully pressing the phial into the raw flesh of his injured hand, she closed her eyes and whispered a plea to the heavens, “Six please, let this work.” She felt the glass break and the soothing warm tingle flow over the hack of her hand, the magic searching for injury. Opening her eyes, she pulled her own hand away to see the blue-green sparkles coalesce in his spoiled palm and hover, growing brighter for a moment before they disappeared, leaving his hand healed. Cassy let out a breath she had not known she was holding as she saw, thankfully, no trace of injury left as she traced her blood-smeared fingers over his smooth skin, not even the burn from this morning.

Ignis was still unconscious and unmoving as Cassy slumped against the shower stall, her eyes burning with unshed tears of relief. Now that it was safe to move him, she eased his head from the blood spattered floor and into her lap, putting the back of her hand to his cheek. He was not as cold as he had been and the colour was returning to his face. Now that her heart was slowing, Cassy leaned her head back against the cool glass on the side of her shower and closed her eyes, subconsciously stroking the prone man’s soft hair with one hand and resting her other on his chest to reassure herself that he was still breathing, steady and slow now. She had done all she could, Ignis was healed as much as was possible, there was nothing to do now but wait.

* * *

Some time later, Cassy was startled out of a doze by the sound of a deep groan and Ignis moving his head.

“You’re awake!” she squealed.

“Hmm, indeed.” Ignis winced as he sat up slowly. Moving to put his left hand to his head, he paused and flexed his fingers, frowning and saying slowly “My… hand.”

“What happened? I got back and found you passed out on the floor. There was blood everywhere! Thank fuck the potion worked, I was scared you were going to die on me!”

“I… uh…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cassy flung herself at Ignis, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders from behind, “You’re okay now.”

“I- thank you.” he bowed his head a little, his voice quiet and cheeks flushing pink “It seems you’ve come to my rescue again.”

Realising what she had done, Cassy blushed too and sat back saying, “Sometimes you need a little help, Ignis. You might be used to looking after your friends, but there’s no shame in asking for a little help sometimes.” Standing up, she touched him gently on the shoulder. “Can you stand? Be careful, the floor is slippery.”

Lacking some of his usual grace, Ignis took her hand and pulled himself up on shaky legs. His hand lingered on Cassy’s and he stood with his head still hung slightly as he asked “Wou- would you be so kind as to help me to my room? I’m afraid I still feel a little faint.”

“Of course,” Cassy smiled, tough he could not see her. “Here, lean on me.” Gently pulling on his hand, she placed it on the curve of her waist so that Ignis was almost hugging her from the side. Feeling herself blush out to her ears, she did her best to help Ignis down the hallway and to his bedroom. The pair made slow progress in the narrow space and Cassy could not help but think again how nice it was to have a good looking man touch her. The heat of his body and the line of slender muscle where their bodies met was having a strange effect on her mind, clouding her thoughts and slowing them a little. _‘A shame he’s completely not interested.’_  she thought to herself.

“Sidestep here,” she said as she opened his room door and entered. “That’s it, sit down, the bed’s behind you.”

With Cassy’s help, Ignis eased himself to sit down onto the edge of the narrow bed, his face still a little pale and his breathing harder than usual.

“Thank you, again.” he said, rubbing his forehead. “I think I should get some rest.”

“Take off your shirt first,”

“What?” Ignis looked flummoxed.

“It’s covered in blood, there’s no way you’re sleeping like that, you’ll get blood everywhere. I’ll try and wash it but honestly, it might be a gonner.”

“Oh,” he hid the pang of disappointment that he felt well and began to unbutton his formerly white shirt. His fingers worked dexterously and quickly, however when he came to shrug it off his shoulders, he winced and stopped. “Ah, I don’t think the potion quite managed to heal my ribs.”

“Did you hurt them when you fell?” Cassy asked, instinctively stepping between his knees and leaning over Ignis, helping him remove the garment. Her fingers met his bare skin and she paused, the warmth of his body had returned mostly.

“Not just now,” he said, his expression sheepish, “I lied to you before, I hurt myself in the crash more than I let on. I’m sorry.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry again. Some rescuer I am. I’m half the reason you’re hurt.”

“I don’t blame you.” Ignis said, trying his best to look up at her as he felt her move close enough to feel the heat radiating from her. “Accidents happen and I should have known better than to distract you. While I’m apologising, I’m sorry for storming off at breakfast.”

“Ah, it’s nothing, forget about it.” Cassy smiled as she pushed the shirt off his muscular shoulders, trying her best to keep her mind out of the gutter but failing as Ignis caught one of her hands in his long fingers, making her freeze.

“I mean it, it was immature of me. You deserve better.” His expression made her heart leap, a sincere look was obvious despite his damaged eyes.

“Then thank you,” she pulled away from him, slipping the shirt from him and balling it up in her hands. A whiff of his cologne made it over the lingering smell of blood, making her mouth water and a thrill shoot through her body. Her cheeks flushed yet again and she hurried to the door, “I, uh, have to go clean up. You get some rest.”

Ignis simply nodded and lay down on the bed, pulling the sheet over him.


	14. Proper Technique

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassy cleans up the apartment in while Ignis rests after hurting himself badly. Afterwards, Ignis attempts to pay her back in some small way by giving her an impromptu cooking lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: More mild gore!

Closing the door quietly behind her, Cassy walked back down her hallway, back to the horror scene in her bathroom. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, her hands began to shake slightly as she set Ignis’ shirt on the toilet cistern and lifted another of her soft towels from the rail, the faded yellow cloth splattered with darkening red. No sense trying to save it now, so she let it fall into the pool of sticky blood at her feet. Knowing that Ignis was safe now, there seemed like there was somehow less blood, the impact of the horror the second time around was not as bad without him lying helpless and unconscious on the floor.

Allowing the towel to soak up most of the gore, she lifted it towards her sink with one hand, reaching for the cold tap with her other. As she looked down, she was confronted with the truly horrific evidence of what had gone on mere minutes earlier. There in the dated yellow porcelain lay the ruins of Ignis’ glove, a thick layer of his skin still clinging to the soft leather. Without the protection of adrenaline, the sight sent Cassy’s stomach reeling fully and she was forced to fling up her toilet lid so that she could vomit, dropping the towel with a wet splat as the bile burned her throat and mouth. Spitting the rush of hot acid into the bowl, Cassy was suddenly thankful she had not eaten since breakfast as she gulped down the coppery air.

Breathing deeply through her mouth, she turned back to the sink, swallowing as her mouth watered to get rid of the bile still sticking to her tongue. There it was. The red stained flesh sitting wet and limp in her sink, denying her desire to forget what had happened with an audacity that a now inanimate object had no right to have.

Reaching with her shaking fingers, she closed her eyes just as she made contact with the cool leather of Ignis’ glove, her skin covered in a disgusting film of blood that was at once sticky and slippery. Pinching one finger of the glove between two fingers and her thumb, she gingerly picked up the mess. It was heavier than it looked and bile threatened to surge up from her stomach again as she threw it towards the small trash can, whispering thanks to the Six when it landed on target and slipped out of sight, for now.

Turning on the cold tap, she ran her bloodied hands around the basin, rinsing away the dark red stains from the sink and her fingers. Once they were clean, she splashed some water on her face then cupped her palms to her mouth to rinse away the taste of vomit. Inhaling the cooler air, Cassy steeled herself before she leaned down to pick up the blood-soaked towel and thrust it under the cold water.

Trails of red wound out from the small towel and slipped down the plughole as the water hit it, creating a pale pink spot under the flow. Cassy stooped to pick up the other hand towel that Ignis had wrapped around his injured hand when she had found him. Hastily dropping it into the sink with the other, she looked at the dark streaks left on the tiled floor and leaned back on the glass of her shower screen.

“Fuck,” she whispered, closing her eyes. What was it about the man in her spare bedroom that made her chest hurt when she remembered seeing him there, helpless on the floor? First she caused a crash and hurt him, now she left him alone when he needed help most and this was the result. “Some host I am.” she whispered to herself, shaking her head as she moved to wring out one of the towels. More pink water ran over her hands as she did, the once primrose yellow towel was now multiple shades of pink and orange. Resigned to the fact it was ruined, Cassy knelt down and began to scrub at the drying blood streaks on the tiles.

* * *

 

With her bathroom now clean, Cassy wrung out the two ruined towels and threw them into the bathroom waste bin, covering the gruesome reminder of what had happened. Picking the entire bin up, she walked into her kitchen and immediately emptied its entire contents into a black plastic bag, turning her face away with a shudder. She tied the bag and dropped it near to her apartment door to take down in the morning, then made her way back into the bathroom to retrieve Ignis’ shirt.

While she was reconciled with the idea of losing two old towels, it seemed a shame to see such a quality garment ruined. Stroking her fingers across the smooth fabric, Cassy was reminded of pushing it off of his strong shoulders, the heat from his skin so close to hers. Feeling her cheeks turn pink, she fixed the plug and started the tap. Salt, Gramps always said saltwater for blood stains. Where was her salt? Opening the cupboard under the sink, she found a box that she could not recall buying, after all, blacksmithing did not really require salt save for cleaning some metals and applying certain finishes. Dumping a good handful into the sink, she watched it billow out and dissolve in the moving water for a second, then plunged the shirt into the water.

The contents of the sink quickly turned pink, yet the ugly red stains did not appear to have faded much. The cold water, however, was pleasant on her skin after the exertion of scrubbing her floors for the last hour. Pressing the shirt deeper into the water, Cassy sighed as more red blossomed from the cloth, darkening the water. Pulling the plug and letting the sink drain, she set the tap on to fill it again and poured in more salt. This was going to be a long process.

* * *

 

Two hours and a half pound of salt later, Cassy finally lifted the shirt out of her sink, clean and with the white only a little les crisp than it was previously. Gently squeezing as much of the water out of it as she could, she hung it up to dry on the small line in her kitchen, hearing small drops of water hit the vinyl floor like the patter of tiny feet. Pouring herself a large mug of coffee from the pot she had set brewing some time ago, she shot a longing look towards her sofa then checked the kitchen clock. No time to sit down yet, dinner needed to be sorted.

Opening her fridge, she frowned again, it was still as barren as the last time that she checked.

“Have to be pasta tonight. Hope the master chef doesn’t mind.” Pulling out a couple of ingredients, she set them on the counter then began to search her cupboards. Finding a large pan, she filled it with water and set it on the hob.

* * *

 

The familiar smell of coffee brewing roused Ignis from his uneasy rest. How long he had slept, he could not tell, though by the fatigue tugging at his limbs as he unsteadily sat up, it did not feel like long. A nagging pain shot from the base of his skull into his eyes and he steadied himself against the wall. The wave of nausea that he found accompanied his waking up since his injury hit him exactly when he expected, but not as hard as it had done yesterday. Had he really vomited up that much? A low growl in his stomach answered for him.

Rubbing his aching forehead, he rose slowly and reached for his shirt, but the chair where he had been leaving his clothes at night was empty. Working slower than normal, his calculating mind finally clicked, remembering what had happened. Cassy had taken his shirt to make an attempt at cleaning it after… His mind shut down, not wanting to remember in any level of detail the overwhelming pain. What had possessed him to do something so desperately stupid? He did not rightly know and right now, the memory was too fresh. Concentrating instead on the scent of coffee and finding his way, Ignis hurriedly pulled on a spare t-shirt and set out for the kitchen.

Hearing the unmistakable sounds of cooking as he rounded the corner to the living room, Ignis half smiled to himself.

“Need a hand?” he asked as he trailed the back of the sofa towards the kitchen.

“Ah, Ignis, you’re up!” Cassy replied with more of her customary cheer, “I think I got everything covered, but I’m up to my elbows in vegetables, so you’ll have to get yourself a coffee if you want one.”

“Smells delightful.” the tactician purred as he made his way over to the counter, accidentally bumping his hand gently against Cassy where she was stood chopping an onion. “My apologies.” Ignis retracted his hand quickly and reached out with his left, finding the front of the cooker by the heat close to his hand.

“Oh, watch yourself!” Cassy turned her head just in time to see Ignis’ cheeks tinge pink, “Don’t want a repeat of earlier today.”

“Indeed.” he smiled bitterly as he moved quickly along the counter.

“I just took the pot off the stove, it’s still hot. Right behind the two mugs on the counter.”

Reaching out gently with both of his hands, Ignis felt across the countertop and soon came into contact with cool porcelain, knocking the mug slightly back with a small clunk. Taking a second to locate the handle and steady the cup, he reached back for the coffee pot. Thankfully, it was not hot enough to burn as the back of his fingers met the metal side and traced around it to the handle. Using his finger looped over the top of the cup as a guide, he slowly began to pour the coffee.

“If you rest the pot on the side of the cup, it won’t wobble so much.” Cassy said cheerfully.

“Ah,” Ignis did as she suggested and was surprised when he felt around the cup and nothing had spilled. “My thanks.” he filled the other cup and replaced the pot before turning and levelling Cassy a questioning look as he leaned on the counter and took a whiff of mouthwatering coffee aroma. “That’s not the first thing you’ve helped me with. How did you get to proficient at doing things without seeing?”

“Oh, my grams went blind when I was little, so I grew up spending a lot of long weekends with her. She’s a stubborn old coot, didn’t want to let anyone help with anything, so she learned all these ways of coping. I guess I picked a lot of them up.”

“Well, it appears I landed on my feet with the right driver back in Hammerhead.” he sipped at his coffee.

“Yeah,” Cassy laughed, “I still can’t chop onions as fast as she does, though.”

“Well, I daresay that's simply down to technique. If I can get Noctis to cut vegetables properly, I’m sure I can instruct a rather more competent cook.”

“I'm happy to learn from the master chef.” Cassy said, turning around to face him across the narrow kitchen.

“How are you holding your knife?”

“Like, uh, a knife?” Cassy looked a little confused. “Put your coffee down and give me your hand.”

Ignis complied, setting his mug down and proffering her a hand. Taking his long fingers in her strong hand, she guided his hand over to the top of her right hand, where she was holding the knife.

“Here, just like anyone would hold it, right?”

Ignis did not reply for a moment as he felt over her hand, frowning. “Your grip seems fine, if a little too tight. It must be something else. Turn back around.”

“Uh, ok.” Cassy did as he told her, reassuming the position she had while chopping. “Right so, where am I going wrong?”

“It’ll be easier if I show you.” Ignis said matter-of-factly. Before she had time to move, Cassy's heart threatened to leap out of her chest as she felt his warm hands find her back then, unhesitatingly along her bare arms until his larger hands were resting gently on top of hers. The length of his arms rested along hers and as he found his footing, his lean body too seemed to match up perfectly with the soft curve of hers. “Ease you grip here,” he said quietly as he gave her right hand a gentle squeeze, his deep voice close to her ear sent a shiver of pleasure out from where his breath touched her neck and she silently wished he did not notice.

“Curl your fingers over here,” Ignis squeezed her left hand. “Now rest the flat of the knife against your knuckles and you’ll never cut your fingers.” He gently guided her hands to cut a neat slice from the halved onion, then another. “See? Now you try.”

Swallowing her growing feelings, Cassy concentrated on his instructions and repeated the actions, slicing the rest of the onion neatly then chopping the slices into small pieces as Ignis followed her actions with his large hands still gently resting on hers.

“Hey, I did it!” she grinned, setting the knife down and looking at her work. “That was easy enough, but still not exactly quick.”

“Speed will come with time, but your technique is good.” Ignis somewhat reluctantly pulled back his hands slowly as he spoke. “You’re a fast learner.”

“Thanks, I always have picked things up pretty quickly. But,” she turned on the spot, catching Ignis’ hands just before he could step back from her. Holding his warm hands in hers, she found herself captured by the tragic beauty of his scarred face. “You’re a good teacher, too.”

“Ah, come now, I’m nothing special.” Ignis blushed, unable to hide it in the harsh fluorescent lights, though he turned his head to try. For so many years, he had been taken for granted and thought nothing of it. After all, his duty was to serve his Prince as best he could, in whatever manner was necessary. He had not realised just how unaccustomed he had become to receiving praise or thanks along the long journey with his Prince and brothers in arms. To say that he found it pleasant would be an understatement.

Unthinking, Cassy reached out and stroked his cheek, gently bringing his head back to face her. Heart hammering, but mind blank, she acted upon pure instinct, stretched up slightly and pressed her lips to his. Ignis’ lips were exactly as soft as she had imagined as he made a small, startled noise. She pulled back, letting her hand fall from his cheek but keeping his hand held in hers. The still silence that followed seemed to last for half a lifetime and Cassy’s cheeks flushed, too.

“I’m…” she sighed, “I’m sorry, I’ll…” she let his hand fall and made to turn away when strong hands stopped her.

“No,” he whispered. Sliding one arm around her waist, Ignis pulled her to him as his other hand stroked up her arm, across her shoulder and to her neck. Caressing across her cheek and bottom lip with his thumb, he felt her breath catch and his lips parted slightly before he pressed the length of his body inter her’s and kissed her hungrily. What was it about this woman that he found so fascinating, so intoxicating?

Slipping his tongue through her soft lips, he was rewarded with a small moan as Cassy slid her hands around his neck, obviously as exhilarated by the contact as he was and sending thrills through his body that he had not experienced in a long time. As their tongues danced, Ignis thought of how he had come to be here. He had never imagined when they had first met in Hammerhead that any of what he had experienced would come to pass. Thoughts of the tiny truckstop where the Prince and his party had started their ill-fated journey dampened his joy. _‘What about Noctis?’_ he thought, _‘I shouldn’t be distracted while he is somewhere, fighting through unimaginable things to save us.’_

Breaking away from her lips and resting his forehead onto hers, he breathed heavily.

“I’m sorry,” Ignis whispered. “I… I can’t-”

The sizzling of water hitting hot metal close by made the pair jump, Ignis taking a quick sidestep and turning his attention to the stove. Cassy saw that the pan of pasta she was cooking had begun to boil over.

“Shit!” she shouted, her heart still thumping from Ignis’ unexpected reaction to her kiss. She leaped over to the stove and lifted the pan off the heat, swearing under hear breath as hot, foamy water spilled over the hobs.

“Is everything alright?” Ignis inquired.

“Yeah, shit. Yes.” Cassy was still flustered, unable to think straight with the taste of him still on her lips and the feeling of his soft fingers caressing her cheek. “You can go sit down, I’ll sort everything. Don’t forget your coffee.”

Ignis nodded solemnly, located his cup and picked it up before walking over to the dining table and sitting down silently.


	15. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is finally reunited with two of his brothers in arms, but who is their new travelling companion?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, who all thought this was dead? HA! No, it's not, I just had a bout of writer's block combined with a period of work and work for a local good cause, so the best of reasons. But, well now I'm trying to make more time to write, and with Comrades out and Episode Ignis on the way, I'm hoping that it'll provide some more inspiration!  
> To all of you who kept reading, despite my horrible, horrible gaps in updates, thank you from the bottom of my ebil little heart! <3

 

Dinner that night had been an awkward, almost silent affair and neither Ignis nor Cassy had spoken much to each other apart from when necessary in the few days since. The knot of guilt Cassy felt for instigating the kiss had eased as she came to realise that she had not done anything wrong, Ignis was young and single, just like her. It was not that he found her unattractive, he had, after all, returned her kiss, it was something else. Maybe his duty? His friends? Only he knew, really, but something inside her hoped that whatever his obstacle was, he could overcome it in time.

Eventually, the strategist was the one to break the silence over a breakfast he had cooked, as was becoming usual. “I, uh, received a phone call last night.” he said, having barely touched his food. “It was from Gladio.”

“Oh?” the blacksmith blinked, pausing with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Is something wrong?”

“No, that is to say, no more than usual at the moment,” he adjusted his dark glasses, “He and two others are coming to Lestallum.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow, if they can make the drive in time.”

“What are they here for?”

“They are co-ordinating with some of the local businesses on behalf of the Hunters, to arm and strengthen defences in the smaller settlements before it becomes too dangerous.”

“So, they’ll be needing somewhere to stay?”

“I hate to impose,” Ignis hung his head, “But I asked around and I’m afraid there’s nowhere else in town.”

“It’s no problem,” Cassy smiled, something warmed in her chest the more he spoke, his refined voice at one soothing and exciting. She had not realised how much she had missed the sound. “So long as they don’t mind the squeeze.”

“We stayed in a tent, sleeping under the stars for many a time,” the blind man smiled, remembering fondly the nights under the stars with his closest friends, “I’m sure they’ll manage with sofas for a couple of nights.”

“After they’ve been sleeping with one eye open out in the middle of nowhere, I’m sure even my old sofas will feel like heaven.” she chuckled, her eyes wandering over to the slightly threadbare furniture.

“Indeed.” Ignis nodded, then seemed to pointedly go back to his food. Feeling like this was as much as she was going to get out of him for now, Cassy also turned her attention back to her plate with a sullen look.

* * *

As she walked out of her bedroom and across to the apartment door, Cassy’s gaze lingered on Ignis’ back as he set about clearing up their breakfast things. He had offered to make them both breakfast every day after she had enjoyed his first attempt so much, saying that it was the least he could do to pay her back for allowing him to stay with her. On the first few days she had felt bad, watching him struggle around her tiny kitchen, though now he seemed confident enough. Reacquiring some of the grace he used to move with, he cleared their plates and stacked them beside the sink as he ran the water.

“I’m going down to work,” Cassy called across her apartment as she pulled on her heavy boots. “You can let your friends in when they get here, I’m sure they’ll need the rest.”

“Very well, I will let you know when they arrive.” Ignis turned around, pushing his long shirtsleeves up his strong forearms. “And Cassy?”

“Yeah?” she paused with her hand on her front door.

“Thank you, again.”

“Hey, like I said, it’s no problem. I get the feeling you and your friends are going to need all of the help you can get soon enough.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right.” Ignis flashed her a cheerless smile before turning back to the sink.

Taking a deep breath, the dark haired woman made her way downstairs to her workshop. The orders were certainly beginning to perk up and though that was good news for her business, if it continued the upward trend, she would struggle to keep up with the demand and the implications for the state of the world at large were bleak.

* * *

Hearing the deep rumble of an approaching vehicle, Ignis stood from the aging plastic and metal cafe chair, his fingers trailing the flat of the table, feeling the spots of rust beginning to take hold on the worn edges now that it was without the bright tablecloth he remembered from his previous visits. The last faint warmth of the sun on his face told him it must be some point in the mid afternoon, though the encroaching darkness was making it more and more difficult to tell for sure.

Pulling up, the large car’s engine cut and was shortly followed by the opening and closing of three doors, the first one a little more forceful than was needed.

“Iggy!” Prompto’s unmistakably cheerful voice came from a few meters away, his footsteps light and bouncy as he made his way over to clap his friend on the arm, bringing with him the scent of metal and gasoline. “Heyaz, buddy, how you been?”

“As well as can be expected.” Ignis nodded. “What news from the Hunters?”

“Ah, Gladio’s probably better giving you a full report, I’ve been mostly helping out at Hammerhead.” the blonde turned back to the aging four wheel drive, “He’s here now.”

“What’s up, Iggy?” hearing his friend’s deep voice was somewhat comforting to Ignis.

“I was just enquiring as to the latest news from Meldacio. I’m afraid I’ve been somewhat out of the loop here.” the tactician adjusted his shaded spectacles.

“Ugh, can we please just get a shower and something other than lukewarm water to drink first?” A third voice complained, a smooth deep timbre that was unfamiliar to Ignis. “My back is killing me.”

“Hehe, Gladio’s driving is enough to do that to anyone.” Prompto chuckled, dropping his bag and stepping back to avoid the large man’s swing.

“Hmm, at least I don’t crash every time I’m behind the wheel.” the behemoth retorted.

“Touché, Gladio, touché.”

“Come on, the big guy’s driving isn’t that bad.” The new voice came closer. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Uh, yeah.” Gladio paused for a moment, sounding uncharacteristically nervous to Ignis’ ears. “This is Corbin, he’s the resident daemon expert at Meldacio and, well, my boyfriend. Corbin, this is Ignis, the King’s right hand man.”

“You don't have to sound quite so ashamed of me, you know,” Corbin chuckled and thrust a hand into Ignis’, shaking it firmly as he added “And I’m actually a Professor of Xenobiology with a keen personal interest in Daemonology.”

“Interesting hobby,” the tactician mused, “If a rather dangerous one.”

“Yeah, but ironically that very danger saved my life. If I hadn't been laid up in Meldacio with a rather nasty cut from a particularly nasty hobgoblin on one of my field studies, I would have been in the Citadel when Insomnia fell.” He sighed. “Such as it is, I’m thankful to be alive and I’ve been doing my best to help wherever I can, since.”

“An admirable deed, for sure. Pleased to meet you, Corbin.”

“And you, Ignis.”

“Now, I assume you all want to freshen up and catch your breath before we get down to business, so grab your belongings and follow me.” Orienting himself with the cafe table, Ignis turned and set out into the town, his cane hovering a minute space above the ground in front of him and the three other men behind him.

Only a few moments into their walk, Prompto smelled a rat.

“Iggy, this isn't the way to the hotel. Are you lost?” The blonde enquired sheepishly.

“No, it isn’t. However, we are not staying at the Leville.”

“Oh?”

“The hotel is full, people fleeing from the darkness in smaller settlements I should imagine, so we’ll be staying with an… acquaintance of mine who was kind enough to offer what little space she has.”

“Got yourself a secret lady friend, eh, Iggy?” Gladio smirked, nudging Prompto, who stumbled as they began to climb the steps further into the city. “Keeping her all for yourself, are you?”

“It's not like that,” Ignis snapped, more harshly than his friend expected. “Cassiopeia has been very kind to help me out and now to put you lot up. So, you can afford her a little more respect than a crass joke.”

“Alright, if you say so, sorry.” Gladio nudged Corbin and whispered with a wink, “She must have made a real impression on him if he’s that protective already.”

“Don't you dare start hitting on her as soon as we get through the door, handsome.” Corbin swatted the muscular man on the shoulder, laughing. “At least wait until we’ve been there a day.”

“You jealous?” Gladiolus stopped at the top of the steps, dropping his large bag, and waited for the smiling slender man. With a grin, he scooped his boyfriend up in strong arms as soon as Corbin reached him. Turning around, Gladio pressed his lover into the cool brick with the length of his tall body. “Because you know I’m all yours now.”

“Damn straight.” The professor grinned as he wrapped his long arms around his lover’s neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

“Uh, you sure a lady is okay being alone with all of us guys?” Prompto asked, nervously trying to change the subject as he hurriedly averted his eyes from the scene behind them.

“As a matter of fact, I had not even to ask.” Ignis smiled slightly, “Our host graciously offered as soon as she heard the hotel in town was full, and asked for nary a gil in return.”

“She really does sound like somebody special. We need as many good people like her on our side if we’re going to help Noct when he gets back.”

“You still think he’s coming back?” The tactician asked as they exited the alleyway in front of Cassy’s apartment.

“Of course I do, Iggy.” Prompto rested a reassuring hand on his companion’s shoulder as the stopped outside the door. “You know I trust Noct to the ends of Eos and back. He’ll come back and he’ll fix this, all of this. He has to.”

“Indeed.” Ignis nodded as he opened the front door. “And thank you, Prompto. Your endless hope does wonders to restore one’s faith.”

“He he I just do what I can, but mostly that's just getting in the way.” The blonde seemed dejected.

“Don't undervalue yourself, Prompto. You help more than you know and we need you to keep us in touch with the people. Not to mention Noct would be lost without his best friend.”

“Thanks, Iggy.” Prompto said bashfully as his cheeks turned pink.

“Now, have Gladio and his, uh, boyfriend caught up?”

“Yeah, we’re here.” The King’s Shield said from a few paces away. “So, we gonna meet our lovely hostess?”

“I’ll show you upstairs, Cassiopeia said to make yourselves at home.”

Leading his friends up the stairs, Ignis let them into the apartment, bidding them make themselves comfortable while he went back downstairs to Cassy's workshop. Knocking sharply on the worn and peeling wooden door, he received no answer. Cracking the door carefully, he poked his head into the room and called over the screeching of cutting metal and heavy machinery.

“Cassy? My friends have arrived!”

“Alright, I’ll be up soon but I gotta finish these bases while they're still hot. Make yourselves at home, you know where the coffee is and there might even still be some beers in the fridge.”

“Indeed. I’ll start a pot.” He ducked back out of her workshop, closing the door and sealing the noise away as he shook the last echoes of the harsh sounds from his mind. Returning up the well worn stairs, he found that Corbin had already called first in line for the bathroom and so he set about preparing drinks while Gladio filled him in on the latest events and future plans from the Hunter HQ.

* * *

Sweat beading on her brow, Cassy slowly pushed a long, narrow sheet of steel through her bandsaw, the blade moving up and down so rapidly it appeared as a steely blur. Even after so many years of working in a workshop, she had never become completely immune to the grating sound of cutting metal and she was thankful when the last two blanks were cut and separated. Powering down the machine, she put her hands on her hips and stretched her back to both sides, letting out a long sigh.

 _‘What I need, is a beer.’_ she thought as she placed the metal carefully on the pile of her day’s work already on her workbench. _‘And it would be rude to drink alone with house guests.’_ With a smile, she took off her goggles and heavy leather apron, wiped her hands on a rag and left her workshop with a bounce in her step. Maybe some time spent relaxing with his friends would lift Ignis’ dark mood and a few beers was always a good way to get to know people, in her experience.

The spring in her step continued and it was not long before she was standing in the kitchen of her favourite cafe, owned by her good friend and drinking buddy, Bonnie.

“So, you’re the one these new hot guys have come to see?” her friend teased as she grabbed two bottles out of the fridge and popped them open. Handing one to Cassy, she grinned, “I know you got a reputation, Cass, but three guys at once is a lot even for you.”

“Shut up, it’s not like that!” Cassy laughed, then taking a swig from the bottle, she sighed as the cool beer made its way down, soothing her hot, dry throat. “They’re here to see Ignis.”

“Hmm?”

“The guy from Insomnia who’s been staying with me?”

“You got a guy living with you now?” Bonnie’s jaw hung open.

“Well, he’s just staying while he gets some stuff sorted out, he’ll probably go back with his friends this week. I didn’t tell you?”

“Cass, I’ve barely seen or heard from you in a week!”

“Ah,” the smith scratched her neck where the cool of the air conditioned kitchen was making the sweat on her neck dry. “I guess I’ve been super busy with all these new orders coming in.”

“That and your new fancy man! A boy from the big city, as well!” leaning towards her friend, Bonnie fixed a faked serious expression, “So, tell me more.”

“We- we’re not, like, together.” Cassy blushed slightly and hurriedly swigged more beer.

“Not because you don’t want to be, by that face. So what’s his problem?”

“He’s… got a lot on his mind.” sighing, Cassy looked down.

“Ah, I see. Well, you’ll just have to do something to attract his attention before he leaves!”

“Six, Bon, I’m not that desperate for him!”

“The way you blushed like a schoolgirl says something different. You got it bad, girl.”

“Fuck.” Cassy whispered. So it was not just her imagination, there was something that obviously attracted her to the Prince’s advisor.

“My advice?” Bonnie nudged her friend, “If these are his friends, make it a party! I’ll stand you some beers, you can fix the next three things that break in this dump. Whaddya say?”

“You know beer always sounds like a good plan to me.” Cassy looked up, a one sided smirk adorning her face.


End file.
